Method of processing hydrocarbons with a molten medium

Claim 1

IN THE PROCESS OF CRACKING A HIGH BOILING HYDROCARBON TO A LOWER BOILING HYDROCARBON BY CONTACTING SAID HIGH BOILING HYDROCARBON WITH A MOLTEN SALT CATALYST AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM ABOUT 500* F. TO ABOUT 1500* F. AND A PRESSURE OF FROM ATMOSPHERIC TO ABOUT 2000 P. S. I., THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES INTRODUCING INTO THE REACTION ZONE WITH SAID HIGH BOILING HYDROCARBON A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF A CONDENSED RING AROMATIC COMPOUND TO DISSOLVE ASPHALTIC MATERIAL FORMED BY THE CRACKING, PASSING THE COMBINIED STREAM OF REACTION PRODUCTS AND SAID AROMATIC COMPOUND FROM THE REACTION ZONE TO A SEPARATING ZONE, INTRODUCING A NAPHTHA STREAM INTO THE LATTER ZONE AND COMMINGLING IT WITH SAID COMBINED STREAM AND EFFECTING THE PRECIPITATION OF SOLID CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL, DISCHARGING THE RESULTING PERCIPITATED SOLID CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID SEPARATING ZONE, PASSING A LIQUID STREAM FROM THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID SEPARATING ZONE, FRACTIONALLY DISTILLING A PRODUCT-CONTAINING FRACTION FROM SAID LIQUID STREAM, PASSING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID PRODUCT-CONTAINING FRACTION INTO SAID SEPARATING ZONE WHILE PASSING ANOTHER PORTION THEREOF TO STORAGE, SEPARATING THE CONDENSED RING AROMATIC COMPOUND FROM SAID LIQUID STREAM AND RECYCLING THE SAME TO SAID REACTION ZONE.