Fractionation process and apparatus

Claim 1

THE PROCESS WHICH COMPRISES CONTINUOUSLY CHARGING A HEATED WIDE BOILING RANGE FLUID MIXTURE TO A FRACTIONATING COLUMN, CONTINUOUSLY REMOVING OVERHEAD FROM THE FRACTIONING COLUMN THE MOST VOLTAILE FRACTION OF THE MIXTURE AS A VAPOR, CONTINUOUSLY REMOVING LESS VOLATILE FRACTIONS OF THE MIXTURE AS LIQUID STREAMS FROM THE SIDE AND BOTTOM OF SAID COLUMN, COOLING AND AT LEAST PARTIALLY CONDENSING THE OVERHEAD VAPOR BY HEAT EXCHANGE WITH A REFRIGERANT EVAPORATING IN AN EVAPORATION ZONE, IMPOSING A PARTIAL VACUUM IN SIAD EVAPORATION ZONE TO PROMOTE THE VAPORIZATION OF SAID REFRIGERANT AND MAINTAINING THE PARTIAL VACUUM BY CONTINUOULSY ABSORBING THE VAPORS OF SAID REFRIGERANT IN A STREAM OF ABSORBENT SOLUTION IN AND ABSORPTION ZONE CONNECTED WITH SAID EVAPORATION ZONE, THUS DILUTING SAID SOLUTION, PASSING SAID STREAM OF DILUTED ABSORBENT SOLUTION FROM THE ABSORPTION ZONE TO A GENERATING ZONE, PASSING A HOT LIQUID PRODUCT STREAM FROM SAID FRAC TIONATING COLUMN TO HEAT EXCHANGE WITH THE STREAM OF DILUTED ABSORBENT SOLUTION, THUS GENERATING REFRIGERANT VAPORS AND RECONCENTRATING SAID SOLUTION, AND PASSING OTHER LIQUID STREAMS FROM SAID FRACTIONATING COLUMN INTO HEAT EXCHANGE WITH SAID WIDE BOILING RANGE FLUID MIXTURE BEFORE ITS INTRODUCTING TO SAID FRACTIONATING COLUMN WHEREBY TO PREHEATE SAID MIXTURE.