Solvent separation of wax from hydrocarbon mixtures

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR THE SEPARATION OF WAX IN SOLIDIFIED FORM FROM A MIXTURE COMPRISING WAX WHEREIN A WAX CAKE AT A REDUCED TEMPERATUER CONTAINING COMPONENTS OTHER THAN THE DESIRED WAX IS ADMIXED WITH A SOLVENT FOR COMPONENTS OF THE MIXTURE OTHER THAN THE DESIRED WAX, THE RESULTING DILUTE MIXTURE WARMED TO A SEPARATION TEMPERATURE SUCH THAT THE DESIRED WAX IS PRESENT IN THE DILUTE MIXTURE IN SOLIDIFIED FORM AND UNDESIRED WAX AND OTHER COMPONENTS OF THE MIXTURE ARE IN SOLUTION AND THE DESIRED WAX IN SOLID FORM IS SEPARATED FROM THE SOLUTION, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES INCREASING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE DILUTE MIXTURE COMPRISING WAX AND SOLVENT TO A TEMPERATURE ABOVE THE SEPARATION TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF 5-50* F. BY AN AMOUNT SUCH THAT FROM ABOUT 2 TO ABOUT 30 WEIGHT PERCENT OF THE DESIRED WAX IS DISSOLVED IN THE SOLVENT, THEREAFTER REDUCING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE DILUTE MIXTURE TO SAID SEPARATION TEMPERATURE AND SEPARATING THE DESIRED SOLIDIFIED WAX FROM THE SOLUTION AT SAID SEPARATION TEMPERATURE.