Aromatics separation process

Claim 1

A CYCLIC PROCESS FOR THE SEPARATION OF AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS FROM SATURATE HYDROCARBONS WHICH COMPRISES, DURING EACH CYCLE, PASSING A FEED STOCK COMPRISING AROMATIC AND SATURATE HYDROCARBONS THROUGH AN ADSORBER CASE CONTAINING A BED OF ADSORBENT ON WHICH FEED AROMATICS ARE PERFERENTIALLY ABSORBED UNTIL THE CAPACITY OF THE ADSORBENT FOR AROMATICS HAS BEEN SUBSTANTIALLY EXHAUSTED, SEPARATELY COLLECTING A STREAM COMPRISING FEED SATURATES DURING THIS PORTION OF THE CYCLE, SHUTTING OFF FLOW OF FEED TO THE ADSORBENT AND PASSING THERETO A LOW-BOILING, WATER SOLUBLE DESORBENT WHICH IS MORE STRONGLY ADSORBED ON THE ABSORBENT THAN THE FEED AROMATICS, SAID DESORBENT BEING HEATED TO A TEMPERATURE SUCH THAT IT WILL VAPORIZE SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETELY FROM THE ABSORBENT AT ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE, MAINTAINING SUFFICIENT PRESSURE IN THE ADSORBER CASE TO MAINTAIN THE DESORBENT IN LIQUID PHASE, CONTINUING PASSAGE OF DESORBENT THROUGH THE ADSORBENT UNTIL THE FEED AROMATICS HAVE BEEN SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETELY DESORBED THEREFORM WHILE SEPARATELY COLLECTING A STREAM COMPRISING FEED AROMATICS AND DESORBENTTHEN REDUCING THE PRESSURE IN THE ADSORBER CASE TO A PRESSURE AT WHICH DESORBENT IN THE CASE WILL SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETELY VAPORIZE; COLLECTING AND CONDENSING DESORBENT VAPORS, CONDUCTING SAID STREAM COMPRISING FEED AROMATICS AND DESORBENT TO A SEPARATION ZONE AND THEREIN CONTACTING IT, WITH SUFFICIENT WATER TO CAUSE THE STREAM TO BREAK INTO A HYDROCARBON PHASE AND AN AQUEOUS DESORBENT PHASE, SEPARATELY COLLECTING THE HYDROCARBON PHASE AND THE DESORBENT PHASE, DEHYDRATING THE DESORBENT, AND RECYCLING IT TO THE PROCESS.