Solvent extraction of hydrocarbons

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING AN AROMATIC CONCENTRATE FROM A REFORMED GASOLINE PRODUCT WHICH COMPRISES SEPARATING FROM THE REFORMED PRODUCT A LIGHT PARAFFINIC FRACTION BOILING BETWEEN ABOUT 40* C. AND ABOUT 65* C. AND A HEAVIER FRACTION CONTAINING AROMATIC AND PARAFFINIC HYDROCARBONS, COUNTERCURRENTLY CONTACTING SAID HEAVIER FRACTION WITH AN AQUEOUS POLYOXY-POLYALKYLENE GLYCOL SOLVENT FOR AROMATICS IN AN EXTRACTION ZONE, THEREBY FORMING A PARAFFINIC RAFFINATE AND AN AROMATIC EXTRACT CONTAINING A SMALL AMOUNT OF RELATIVELY HEAVY PARAFFINS, COUNTERCURRENTLY CONTACTING SAID EXTRACT IN SAID ZONE WITH A QUANTITY OF SAID LIGHT PARAFFINIC FRACTION IN EXCESS OF THAT REQUIRED TO DISPLACE FROM THE EXTRACT SAID SMALL AMOUNT OF RELATIVELY HEAVY PARAFFINS, REMOVING THE EXCESS OF SAID LIGHT FRACTION FROM SAID ZONE IN ADMIXTURE WITH SAID RAFFINATE, DISTILLING THE WITHDRAWN RAFFINATE TO SEPARATE SAID EXCESS OF LIGHT PARAFFINIC HYDROCARBONS THEREFROM AND RETURNING THE LATTER TO SAID ZONE FOR FURTHER COUNTERCURRENT CONTACT WITH THE EXTRACT THEREIN, AND DISTILLING LIGHT PARAFFINS FROM SAID EXTRACT AND RETURNING THE SAME TO THE EXTRACTION ZONE TOGETHER WITH THE LIGHT PARAFFINS SEPARATED FROM SAID RAFFINATE.