Method for treating the products of synthesis gas conversion

Claim 1

IN THE CATALYTIC CONVERSION OF CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN INTO A MIXTURE OF HYDROCARBONS, OXYGEN-CONTAINING COMPOUNDS, WAQTER AND THE LIKE, THE METHOD WHICH COMPRISES EFFECTING CONVERSION OF CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE IN A RECTION ZONE INTO A PRODUCT MIXTURE COMPRISING AFORESAID SUBSTANCES AND INCLUDING SOME ALDEHYDES AND KETONES, SEPARATING SAID PRODUCT MIXTURE INTO AN AQUEOUS PHASE, A LIQUID HYDROCARBON PHASE AND A GAS PHASE AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 175 TO 300*F. AND AT A PRESSURE SUFFICIENT TO SUBSTANTIALLY MAINTAIN NORMALLY LIQUID PRODUCTS IN THE LIQUID PHASE, SUBJECTING SAID AQUEOUS PHASE CONTAINING A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF SAID OXYGENCONTAINING COMPOUNDS TO SOLVENT EXTRACTION WITH A HYDROCARBON SOLVENT IN AN EXTRACTION ZONE AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 175 TO 300*F. AND AT A PRESSURE SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN NORMALLY LIQUID COMPOUNDS IN THE LIQUID PHASE, THEREBY FORMING A HYDROCARBON-RICH EXTRACT PHASE CON TAINING NON-ACIDIC OXYGEN-CONTAINING ORGANIC COMPOUNDS AND A WATER-RICH PHASE CONTAINING ORGANIC ACIDS, SEPARATING SAID LAST TWO MENTIONED PHASES, COMBINING SAID HYDROCARBON-RICH EXTRACT PHASE WITH SAID LIQUID SYDROCARBON PHASE INITIALLY SEPARATED FROM SAID PRODUCT MIXTURE, SUBJECTING SAID COMBINED HYDROCARBON PHASES TO CATALYTIC HYDROGENATION WITH A PORTION OF SAID GAS PHASE INITIALLY SEPARATED FROM SAID PRODUCT MIXTURE SO AS TO CONVERT ALDEHYDES AND KETONES TO ALCOHOLS AND SEPARATING ALCOHOLS FROM SAID COMBINED HYDROCARBON PHASES.