Process of regenerating an aqueous alkali solution

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF REGENERATING AN AQUEOUS ALKALI SOLUTION CONTAINING WEAKLY ACIDIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS AND A SMALL BUT EFFECTIVE AMOUNT OF AN OXIDATION PROMOTER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF GALLIC ACID, TANNIC ACID AND TANNINS, WHICH PROMOTER ACCELERATES THE RATE OF OXIDATION OF SAID WEAKLY ACIDIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS IN THE PRESENCE OF OXYGEN, SAID SOLUTION HAVING BEEN USED TO EXTRACT SAID WEAKLY ACIDIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS FROM HYDROCARBON FLUIDS, COMPRISING: CONTACTING SAID SOLUTION WITH AN OXGEN-CONTAINING OXIDIZING GAS UNTIL A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF SAID WEAKLY ACIDIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS IS OXIDIZED BUT AT LEAST ABOUT 0.1 PER CENT OF UNOXIDIZED WEAKLY ACIDIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS REMAINS IN SAID SOLUTION, AND REMOVING THE OXIDIZED SULFUR COMPOUNDS FROM THE SOLUTION.