Separation of hydrocarbons

Claim 1

PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF A FRACTION WITH AN INCREASED XYLENE CONTENT AND AN INCREASED WEIGHT RATIO OF XYLENE:ETHYL BENZENE AND A FRACTION WITH AN INCREASED ETHYL BENZENE:XYLENE WEIGHT RATIO FROM FEED MIXTURES CONTAINING ETHYL BENZENE, XYLENES AND AT LEAST ONE NONAROMATIC HYDROCARBON SELECTED FROM THE GROUP OF SATURATED HYDROCARBONS CONSISTING OF ALIPHATIC AND NAPHTHENIC HYDROCARBONS, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT SAID FEED MIXTURE CONTAINS AT LEAST 40% OF NON-AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS, WHICH COMPRISES SUBJECTING SAID FEED MIXTURE TO EXTRACTIVE DISTILLATION WITH AN EXCESS OF A SUBSTITUTED MONO-HYDROXY PHENOL CUT HAVING A BOILING POINT WITHIN THE RANGE OF FROM 215* TO 255*C. AT ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE AND CONTAINING NOT MORE THAN 10% BY WEIGHT OF PHENOLS IN WHICH THE 2- AND 6-POSITIONS, RELATIVE TO THE HYDROXY GROUP, ARE OCCUPIED BY ALKYL RADICALS, AND TAKING OFF AS OVERHEAD PRODUCT A FRACTION CONTAINING SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF SAID NON-AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS, A MAJOR PROPORTION OF SAID EHTYL BENZENE AND ONLY A MINOR PROPORTION OF XYLENES, AND AS BOTTOM PRODUCT A SOLUTION OF AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS SUBSTANTIALLY FREE FROM SAID NON-AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS AND COMPRISING THE MAJOR JPROPORTION OF SAID XYLENES AND ONLY A MINOR PROPORTION OF SAID ETHYL BENZENE, SO THAT SAID BOTTOM PRODUCT HAS A SUBSTANTIALLY TO THE RATIO IN SAID FEED MIXTURE.