Solvent refining of light oils

Claim 1

A METHOD OF SOLVENT REFINING OF HYDROCARBON OIL BOILING IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 275 TO 600* F., RELATIVELY LOW IN AROMATIC CONSTITUENTS AND CONTAINING AT LEAST A SMALL PROPORTION OF CONSTITUENTS HAVING TRUE BOILING POINTS IN THE RANGE OF THE SOLVENT BOILING TEMPERATURE AND BELOW WITH AN ORGANIC SOLVENT LIQUID AT LEAST PARTIALLY MISCIBLE WITH WATER AT 100*F. AND WITH WHICH, IN THE PRESENCE OF WATER, REFINED OIL CONSTITUENTS OF THE FEED FORM AZEOTROPES WHICH COMPRISES SUBJECTING SAID OIL TO LIQUID-LIQUID EXTRACTION WITH SAID SOLVENT THEREBY FORMING EXTRACT AND RAFFINATE PHASES RESPECTIVELY, EACH OF SAID PHASES COMPRISING OIL AND SOLVENT LIQUID, SEPARATELY SUBJECTING EACH OF SAID PHASES TO AZETROPIC DISTILLATION IN THE PRESENCE OF WATER ADDED IN SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT TO THE ZONE OF DISTILLATION THEREBY FORMING DISTILLATES EACH COMPRISING A TERNARY AZEOTROPE OF OIL, SOLVENT AND WATER, THE DISTILLATE FROM THE RAFFINATE PHASE CONTAINING SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE SOLVENT PRESENT THEREIN AND THE DISTILLATE FROM THE EXTRACT PHASE CONTAINING SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE HYDROCARBON PRESENT THEREIN, SEPARATELY CONDENSING SAID DISTILLATES, SEPARATELY SUBJECTING EACH CONDENSATE IN THE PRESENCE OF WATER TO SETTLING AT A RELATIVELY HIGH TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE ABOUT 200*F. AND HIGHER THEREBY FORMING PRIMARY PHASES RESPECTIVELY RICH IN OIL AND WATER, EACH PRIMARY PHASE CONTAINING SOME SOLVENT LIQUID, SEPARATELY WITHDRAWING SAID PRIMARY PHASES, SUBJECTING PRIMARY OIL-RICH LIQUID TO SETTLING AT RELATIVELY LOW TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 70150*F. THEREBY FORMING SECONDARY PHASES RESPECTIVELY COMPRISING MAINLY OIL AND MAINLY SOLVENT, SEPARATELY WITHDRAWING SAID SECONDARY PHASES, RECYCLING SECONDARY OIL-RICH PHASE TO THE RAFFINATE PHASE AZEOTROPIC DISTILLATION, SUBJECTING PRIMARY WATER-RICH LIQUID TO SETTLING AT A RELATIVELY LOW TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 70-150*F. THEREBY FORMING TERTIARY PHASES COMPRISING RESPECTIVELY MAINLY WATER AND MAINLY SOLVENT, SEPARATELY WITHDRAWING SAID TERTIARY PHASES, RECYCLING TERTIARY WATER PHASE AT LEAST IN PART TO SAID AZEOTROPIC DISTILLATIONS AND RECYCLING TERTIARY SOLVENT PHASE TO SAID LIQUID-LIQUID EXTRACTION.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF SOLVENT REFINING OF HYDROCARBON OIL BOILING IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 275 TO 600* F., RELATIVELY LOW IN AROMATIC CONSTITUENTS AND CONTAINING AT LEAST A SMALL PROPORTION OF CONSTITUENTS HAVING TRUE BOILING POINTS IN THE RANGE OF THE SOLVENT BOILING TEMPERATURE AND BELOW WITH AN ORGANIC SOLVENT LIQUID AT LEAST PARTIALLY MISCIBLE WITH WATER AT 100*F. AND WITH WHICH, IN THE PRESENCE OF WATER, REFINED OIL CONSTITUENTS OF THE FEED FORM AZEOTROPES WHICH COMPRISES SUBJECTING SAID OIL TO LIQUID-LIQUID EXTRACTION WITH SAID SOLVENT THEREBY FORMING EXTRACT AND RAFFINATE PHASES RESPECTIVELY, EACH OF SAID PHASES COMPRISING OIL AND SOLVENT LIQUID, SEPARATELY SUBJECTING EACH OF SAID PHASES TO AZETROPIC DISTILLATION IN THE PRESENCE OF WATER ADDED IN SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT TO THE ZONE OF DISTILLATION THEREBY FORMING DISTILLATES EACH COMPRISING A TERNARY AZEOTROPE OF OIL, SOLVENT AND WATER, THE DISTILLATE FROM THE RAFFINATE PHASE CONTAINING SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE SOLVENT PRESENT THEREIN AND THE DISTILLATE FROM THE EXTRACT PHASE CONTAINING SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE HYDROCARBON PRESENT THEREIN, SEPARATELY CONDENSING SAID DISTILLATES, SEPARATELY SUBJECTING EACH CONDENSATE IN THE PRESENCE OF WATER TO SETTLING AT A RELATIVELY HIGH TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE ABOUT 200*F. AND HIGHER THEREBY FORMING PRIMARY PHASES RESPECTIVELY RICH IN OIL AND WATER, EACH PRIMARY PHASE CONTAINING SOME SOLVENT LIQUID, SEPARATELY WITHDRAWING SAID PRIMARY PHASES, SUBJECTING PRIMARY OIL-RICH LIQUID TO SETTLING AT RELATIVELY LOW TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 70150*F. THEREBY FORMING SECONDARY PHASES RESPECTIVELY COMPRISING MAINLY OIL AND MAINLY SOLVENT, SEPARATELY WITHDRAWING SAID SECONDARY PHASES, RECYCLING SECONDARY OIL-RICH PHASE TO THE RAFFINATE PHASE AZEOTROPIC DISTILLATION, SUBJECTING PRIMARY WATER-RICH LIQUID TO SETTLING AT A RELATIVELY LOW TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 70-150*F. THEREBY FORMING TERTIARY PHASES COMPRISING RESPECTIVELY MAINLY WATER AND MAINLY SOLVENT, SEPARATELY WITHDRAWING SAID TERTIARY PHASES, RECYCLING TERTIARY WATER PHASE AT LEAST IN PART TO SAID AZEOTROPIC DISTILLATIONS AND RECYCLING TERTIARY SOLVENT PHASE TO SAID LIQUID-LIQUID EXTRACTION.