The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 02, 1993
Filed:
Feb. 20, 1991
Paulino Forte, Yonkers, NY (US);
UOP, Des Plaines, IL (US);
Abstract
A continuous solvent extraction process for the separation of aromatic hydrocarbons from a feedstock comprising aromatic and non-aromatic hydrocarbons provides more efficient heat utilization by using a lean solvent stream to heat the rich solvent stream as it passes from a primarily extractive stripping section to a section that primarily provides steam stripping. The feed stream is contacted with a lean solvent stream in an extraction zone to separate it into a raffinate stream comprising non-aromatic hydrocarbons and a first rich solvent stream comprising solvent, aromatic hydrocarbons and non-aromatic hydrocarbons. The first rich solvent stream passes to a first stripping zone section from which a first vapor stream is recovered and a second rich solvent stream is discharged. As the second rich solvent stream is passed to a second section of the stripping zone it is heated by heat exchange with the lean solvent stream that is recovered from the second stripping zone section. Heat exchange of the rich solvent with the lean solvent between stripping sections removes substantially more heat from the lean solvent stream than was previously removed when the lean solvent stream was used to heat stripping stream. The additional heat made available by this invention reduces the overall heat input and permits the use of low pressure steam to heat the stripping steam stream.