Hydrocarbon separation

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR RECOVERING HYDROCARBONS FROM A SEOUS HYDROCARBON MIXTURE WHICH INCLUDES AMMONIA SALT COMPOUNDS WHEREIN THE HYDROCARBON MIXTURE IS INTRODUCED INTO AN ABSORBER AND CONTACTED THEREIN WITH A LEAN OIL, WITH METHANE AND LIGHTER COMPONENTS OF THE FEED MIXTURE BEING WITHDRAWN AS A ABSORBER OVERHEAD, AND C2 AND HIGHER HYDROCARBONS BEING WITHDRAWN AS A RICH OIL BOTTOMS, AND IN WHICH THE RICH OIL BOTTOMS IS INTRODUCED INTO A DEETHANIZER WHEREIN C2 HYDROCARBONS ARE WITHDRAWN AS OVERHEAD AND C3 AND HEAVIER HYDROCARBONS ARE WITHDRAWN AS BOTTOMS AND WHEREIN THE AMMONIA SALT COMPOUNDS ARE DEPOSITED IN THE UPPER PORTION OF THE DEETHANIZER, THEREBY REDUCING THE EFFICIENCY OF SAID DEETHANIZER, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING INDRODUCING INTO THE DEETHANIZER ABOVE THE TOP TRAY THEREOF A QUANTITY OF WASH WATER SUFFICIENT TO REMOVE FROM THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID DEETHANIZER THE AMMONIA SALTS DEPOSITED THEREIN BY DISSOLVING THE SAME IN THE WASH WATER, ACCUMULATING THE WASH WATER AND THE AMMONIA SALT COMPOUNDS CONTAINED THEREIN AT AN INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF SAID COLUMN, WITHDRAWING THE ACCCUMULATED WASH WATER AND AMMONIA SALT COMPOUNDS AT A CONTROLLED RATE FROM SAID COLUMN, SEPARATELY HYDROCARBONS ENTRAINED IN THE WITHDRAWN WASH WATER, AND PASSING THE DEETHANIZER BOTTOMS TO FURTHER SEPARATION.