Process for separating wax from wax-oil mixtures

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR SEPARATING WAX AND OIL FROM A WAX-OIL MIXTURE, WHICH COMPRISES ADDING AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION WHICH IS CAPABLE OF REMAINING IN SUBSTANTIALLY THE LIQUID STATE AT THE DEWAXING TEMPERATURE, TO SAID WAX-OIL MIXTURE, IN AN AMOUNT VARYING BETWEEN ABOUT ONE PER CENT AND ABOUT 200 PER CENT, BASED ON THE WEIGHT OF THE WAX-OIL MIXTURE, TO PRODUCE AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION-WAX-OIL MIXTURE; TREATING SAID AQUEOUS SOLUTION-WAX-OIL MIXTURE IN THE PRESENCE OF A SURFACE ACTIVE AGENT THAT PRODUCES A FINITE THREEPHASE CONTACT ANGLE IN THE BUBBLE MACHINE TEST AT THE DEWAXING TEMPERATURE, IN AMOUNTS OF AT LEAST ABOUT 0.01 PER CENT, BASED ON THE WEIGHT OF THE WAX-OIL MIXTURE, BUT LESS THAN THE AMOUNT NECESSARY TO PROMOTE FORMATIONOF A WAX-OIL MIXTURE-IN-AQUEOUS SOLUTION EMULSION IN WHICH THE AQUEOUS SOLUTION IS THE CONTINUOUS PHASE, TO PRODUCE A DISPERSION IN WHICH THE AQUEOUS SOLUTION IS THE DISPERSED PHASE AND THE WAX-OIL MIXTURE IS THE CONTINUOUS PHASE; INTRODUCING A LIQUIFIED, LOW-BOILING MATERIAL INTO SAID DISPERSION; PERMITTING SAID LIQUIFIED, LOW-BOILING MATERIAL TO VAPORIZE TO PRECIPITATE WAX AND TO PRODUCE GAS; CONTINUING SAID TREATING TO ASSOCIATE SAID WAX AND SAID GAS WITH THE DISPERSED AQUEOUS SOLUTION PHASE, THEREBY PRODUCING A WAX-BEARING FROTH; AND SEPARATING SAID WAX-BEARING FROTH FROM SAID DISPERSION.