(under the class definition) Processes including the step of adding material other than water or steam per se to the distilland or distillation zone.
(1) Note. This subclass and indented subclasses include azeotropic and extractive distillations in which additional material other than water or steam alone is added to alter the relative volatility of components of the distilland to assist the distillative separation. Usually the material is added to the distilland or the distillation zone. Recycling all or part of a product of the distillation is not considered adding an additional material for purposes of this and indented subclasses.
(2) Note. The use of water or steam in addition to the added material is within the scope of this and indented subclasses.
(3) Note. When two or more distinct species of added substance are claimed, the patent is placed in the subclass first providing for a species. When a species claimed is not specifically provided for, the patent is placed in the generic subclass (50 or 57) and cross-references to the subclasses providing for the other species.
(4) Note. See Class 260, Chemistry of Carbon Compounds, class definitions, Definition of Terms Employed in this Class, and appropriate subclasses for definitions of terms for organic compounds used in this and indented subclasses.
SEE OR SEARCH THIS CLASS, SUBCLASS:
12+, for a process for reducing only the water content of the distilland in which additional material assists the distillative separation and subclasses 76, 79, 83, 85, 92+, and 95+ for a separatory distillation process in which only water or steam is the additional material added. 29+, for a separatory distillation process in which the added material reacts with a component of the material being separated or catalyzes a chemical reaction.
39+, for a distillation process in which an extraneous material is utilized to assist a disparate physical separation such as extraction or sorption.
SEE OR SEARCH CLASS
208, Mineral Oils: Processes and Products,
356, and 362 for a process of distilling mineral oil in the presence of an added gas or vapor, and subclass 313 for a process of distilling mineral oil in the presence of a selective solvent. Under subclass 362 see "SEARCH THIS CLASS,SUBCLASS" and "SEARCH CLASS" for related fields of search.
