Solvent refining process with control of temperature

Claim 1

A METHOD OF LIQUID-LIQUID COUNTERCURRENT SOLVENT REFINING A LIQUID MIXTURE INTO FRACTIONS OF DIFFRENT CHARACTERISTICS WHICH COMPRISES INTRODUCING A LIQUID SELECTIVE SOLVENT INTO A LIQUID-LIQUID CONTACTING ZONE AT ABOUT ONE END THEREOF, SAID SELECTIVE SOLVENT BEING A SELECTIVE SOLVENT FOR AT LEAST ONE COMPONENT OF SAID LIQUID MIXTURE AND AT LEAST PARTIALLY IMMISCIBLE WITH SAID LIQUID MIXTURE, INTRODUCING SAID LIQUID MIXTURE AT AN INTERMEDIATE POINT INTO SAID CONTACTING ZONE, WITHDRAWING A LIQUID STREAM FROM SAID CONTACTING ZONE AT A POINT DOWMSTREAM FROM THE POINT OF INTRODUCTION OF SAID LIQUID MIXTURE IN THE DIRECTION OF FLOW OF SAID LIQUID SELECTIVE SOLVENT WITHIN SAID CONTACTING ZONE, COOLING SAID WITHDRAWN LIQUID STRWAM, INTRODUCING THE RESULTING COOLED LIQUID STREAM INTO SAID CONTACTING ZONE NEAR THE POINT OF WITHDRAWAL OF SAID LIQUID STREAM BUT REMOVED THEREFROM IN THE DIRECTION OF FLOW OF SAID LIQUID SELECTIVE SOLVENT WITHIN SAID CONTACTING ZONE, WITHDRAWING FROM THE OTHER END OF SAID CONTACTING ZONE LIQUID SELECTIVE SOLVENT PHASE AND WITHDRAWING FROM SAID ONE END OF SAID CONTACTING ZONE A RAFFINATE PORTION OF SAID LIQUID MIXTURE, THE PROPORTIONS AND TEMPERATURES OF SAID LIQUID MIXTURE, SAID LIQUID SELECTIVE SOLVENT AND SAID RESULTING COOLED STREAM INTRODUCED INTO SAID CONTACTING ZONE BEING ADJUSTED SO THAT THE FOLLOWING TEMPERATURE RELATIONSHIPS EXIST WITHIN SAID CONTACTING ZONE: THE TEMPERATURE DIFFERENTIAL T4-T2 BEING IN THE RANGE 0 TO $12 AND THE TEMPERATURE DIFFERENTIAL T2-T3 BEING IN THE RANGE 2-80, ALL TEMPERATURES BEING DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, AND WHEREIN T2, IS THE TEMPERATURE WITHIN SAID CONTACTING ZONE AT THE LEVEL OF THE POINT OF INTRODUCTION OF SAID LIQUID MIXTURE, T3 IS THE TEMPERATURE WITHIN SAID CONTACTING ZONE AT THE LEVEL OF THE POINT OF INTRODUCTION OF SAID RESULTING COOLED STREAM AND T4 IS THE TEMPERATURE WITHIN SAID CONTACTING ZONE AT SAID ONE END THEREOF WHERE SAID RAFFINATE PORTION IS WITHDRAWN.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF LIQUID-LIQUID COUNTERCURRENT SOLVENT REFINING A LIQUID MIXTURE INTO FRACTIONS OF DIFFRENT CHARACTERISTICS WHICH COMPRISES INTRODUCING A LIQUID SELECTIVE SOLVENT INTO A LIQUID-LIQUID CONTACTING ZONE AT ABOUT ONE END THEREOF, SAID SELECTIVE SOLVENT BEING A SELECTIVE SOLVENT FOR AT LEAST ONE COMPONENT OF SAID LIQUID MIXTURE AND AT LEAST PARTIALLY IMMISCIBLE WITH SAID LIQUID MIXTURE, INTRODUCING SAID LIQUID MIXTURE AT AN INTERMEDIATE POINT INTO SAID CONTACTING ZONE, WITHDRAWING A LIQUID STREAM FROM SAID CONTACTING ZONE AT A POINT DOWMSTREAM FROM THE POINT OF INTRODUCTION OF SAID LIQUID MIXTURE IN THE DIRECTION OF FLOW OF SAID LIQUID SELECTIVE SOLVENT WITHIN SAID CONTACTING ZONE, COOLING SAID WITHDRAWN LIQUID STRWAM, INTRODUCING THE RESULTING COOLED LIQUID STREAM INTO SAID CONTACTING ZONE NEAR THE POINT OF WITHDRAWAL OF SAID LIQUID STREAM BUT REMOVED THEREFROM IN THE DIRECTION OF FLOW OF SAID LIQUID SELECTIVE SOLVENT WITHIN SAID CONTACTING ZONE, WITHDRAWING FROM THE OTHER END OF SAID CONTACTING ZONE LIQUID SELECTIVE SOLVENT PHASE AND WITHDRAWING FROM SAID ONE END OF SAID CONTACTING ZONE A RAFFINATE PORTION OF SAID LIQUID MIXTURE, THE PROPORTIONS AND TEMPERATURES OF SAID LIQUID MIXTURE, SAID LIQUID SELECTIVE SOLVENT AND SAID RESULTING COOLED STREAM INTRODUCED INTO SAID CONTACTING ZONE BEING ADJUSTED SO THAT THE FOLLOWING TEMPERATURE RELATIONSHIPS EXIST WITHIN SAID CONTACTING ZONE: THE TEMPERATURE DIFFERENTIAL T4-T2 BEING IN THE RANGE 0 TO $12 AND THE TEMPERATURE DIFFERENTIAL T2-T3 BEING IN THE RANGE 2-80, ALL TEMPERATURES BEING DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, AND WHEREIN T2, IS THE TEMPERATURE WITHIN SAID CONTACTING ZONE AT THE LEVEL OF THE POINT OF INTRODUCTION OF SAID LIQUID MIXTURE, T3 IS THE TEMPERATURE WITHIN SAID CONTACTING ZONE AT THE LEVEL OF THE POINT OF INTRODUCTION OF SAID RESULTING COOLED STREAM AND T4 IS THE TEMPERATURE WITHIN SAID CONTACTING ZONE AT SAID ONE END THEREOF WHERE SAID RAFFINATE PORTION IS WITHDRAWN.