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:
Oct. 08, 1996
Filed:
Dec. 22, 1993
Paulino Forte, Yonkers, NY (US);
UOP, Des Plaines, IL (US);
Abstract
The invention relates to a process for separating aromatic hydrocarbons from a mixed hydrocarbon feed employing a selective solvent which exhibits a low critical solution temperature of the solvent with a solute. The mixed hydrocarbon feed is passed to an extraction zone wherein the feed is contacted with a lean solvent to provide a raffinate stream comprising non-aromatics and a rich solvent stream comprising aromatics and solvent. Both the raffinate stream and the rich solvent stream are admixed with a sufficient amount of a solute at a temperature which is at or below a low critical solution temperature with the solvent to separate the raffinate and aromatic phases from the solvent/solute mixture. The solvent/solute mixture is heated to a separation temperature which is above the low critical solution temperature to provide a solvent phase which is essentially free of solute at energy levels significantly lower than conventional processes.