Method for separating relatively pure water from aqueous solutions

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR REMOVING FRESH WATER FROM AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION COMPRISING: FREEZING ICE CRYSTALS FROM THE AQUEOUS SOLUTION; DIRECTLY AND INTIMATELY CONTACTING IN A CONTACT ZONE AT A TEMPERATURE AT LEAST AS LOW AS THE FREEZING POINT OF THE AQUEOUS SOLUTION, THE AQUEOUS SOLUTION AND THE ICE CRYSTALS WITH A LIQUID EXCHANGE MEDIUM HAVING THE FOLLOWING PROPERTIES: (A) SUBSTANTIAL IMMISCIBILITY IN THE AQUEOUS SOLUTION AND IN FRESH WATER; (B) STABLE IN THE PRESENCE OF, AND UNREACTIVE WITH, WATER AND THE SOLUTE OF THE AQUEOUS SOLUTION TO THE EXTENT THAT NO IRREVERSIBLE PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL TRANSFORMATIONS OCCUR DURING SAID DIRECT, INTIMATE CONTACT; (C) A DENSITY LESS THAN THAT OF THE AQUEOUS SOLUTION AND FRESH WATER; (D) A FREEZING POINT AT LEAST AS LOW AS THE FREEZING POINT OF THE AQUEOUS SOLUTION AT THE PRESSURE AT WHICH SAID DIRECT, INTIMATE CONTACT OCCURS; AND (E) A POSITIVE COEFFICIENT OF MELTING TEMPERATURE VERSUS PRESSURE, DT/DP;