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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Processes for the separation of aromatic hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon mixture

Patent ·
OSTI ID:6374661
A process is described for separating aromatic hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon feed stream containing aromatic and nonaromatic hydrocarbons, comprising; (a) passing the feed stream which is at least partially vaporized to an extractive distillation column having a reboiler associated therewith maintained at extractive distillation conditions effective to separate aromatic from nonaromatic hydrocarbons and contacting the feed stream within said distillation column with a lean solvent stream comprising an aromatic selective solvent and a reflux hydrocarbon stream comprising non-aromatic hydrocarbons; (b) withdrawing a raffinate stream comprising non-aromatic hydrocarbons from an overhead section of said distillation column; (c) withdrawing a rich solvent stream comprising the aromatic selective solvent, aromatic hydrocarbons and nonaromatic hydrocarbons from a bottom section of said distillation column; and reboiling a portion of said rich solvent stream to provide a reboiled rich solvent and returning said reboiled rich solvent to said bottom section of said distillation column; (d) passing the rich solvent stream to a stripping column maintained at stripping conditions effective to separate the aromatic selective solvent from the aromatic hydrocarbons and contacting the rich solvent stream within said stripping column with stripping stream; (e) withdrawing a stripper overhead stream comprising water and non-aromatic hydrocarbons from an overhead section of said stripping column; (f) withdrawing a stripper bottoms stream comprising the lean solvent stream from a bottom section of said stripping column; and (g) withdrawing a side-cut stream comprising aromatic hydrocarbons from an intermediate section of said stripping column.
Assignee:
UOP, Des Plaines, IL (United States)
Patent Number(s):
A; US 5225072
Application Number:
PPN: US 7-563138
OSTI ID:
6374661
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English