Process for separating normal aliphatic hydrocarbons using zeolitic molecular sieves

Claim 1

A PROCESS WHEREIN A SINGLE CONTIGUOUS, GRAVITATING BED OF A ZEOLITE MOLECULAR SIEVE HAVING A RIGID THREEDIMENSIONAL STRUCTURE PASSES IN THE ORDER NAMED THROUGH AN UPPER SOLIDS SEPARATION ZONE, THEN DIRECTLY THROUGH A FIRST VAPOR-SOLIDS SEPARATION ZONE, THEN DIRECTLY THROUGH A FIRST VAPOR-SOLIDS COUNTERCURRENT CONTACTING DESORPTION ZONE, THEN DIRECTLY THROUGH A ZONE OF INTRODUCTION OF A FIRST VAPOR STREAM CONTAINING A FIRST NORMAL ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBON, THEN DIRECTLY THROUGH A SECOND VAPOR-SOLIDS SEPARATION ZONE, THEN DIRECTLY THROUGH A SECOND VAPOR-SOLIDS SOLIDS COUNTERCURRENT CONTACTING ADSORPTION ZONE, THEN DIRECTLY THROUGH A ZONE OF INTRODUCTION OF A SECOND VAPOR FEED STREAM TO BE SEPARATED CONTAINING AT LEAST ONE HEAVIER NORMAL ALIPHATIC HYDRROCARBON AND HAVING A GREATER ONE NON-STRAIGHT CHAIN HYDROCARBON AND HAVING A GREATER NUMBER OF CARBON ATOMS THAN ANY NORMAL ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBON IN SAID FIRST STREAM, AND THEN DIRECTLY THROUGH A BOTTOM SOLIDS REMOVAL ZONE, COUNTERCURRENTLY CONTACTING SAID FIRST VAPOR STREAM WITH SAID SIEVE IN SAID DESORPTION ZONE, THEREBY DESORBING SAID HEAVIER NORMAL ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBON FROM SAID SIEVE AND COLLECTING SAME IN VAPOR FORM IN SAID FIRST SEPARATION ZONE, COUNTER-CURRENTLY CONTACTING SAID SECOND VAPOR STREAM WITH SAID SIEVE IN SAID ADSORPTION ZONE AND ADSORBING SAID HEAVIER NORMAL ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBON ON SAID SIEVE, WHILE DESORBING SAID FIRST NORMAL ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBON FROM SAID SIEVE AND COLLECTING SAME IN VAPOR FROM TOGETHER WITH SAID VAPORS OF SAID NON-STRAIGHT CHAIN HYDROCARBON IN SAID VAPORS SEPARATION ZONE, REMOVING SOLIDS FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID BED OF GRAVITATING SIEVE AND INTRODUCING INTO SAID SOLIDS ANOTHER PORTION OF SAID FIRST VAPOR STREAM AS A LIFT GAS FOR SAID SOLIDS AND LIFTING SAID SOLIDS TO THE TOP OF SAID BED, AND DURING SAID LIFTING DESORBING A PORTION OF SAID HEAVIER NORMAL ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBON FROM SAID SIEVE AND SEPARATING AT LEAST MOST OF SAID LIFT VAPORS FROM SAID SOLIDS, REMOVING THE VAPORS COLLECTED IN SAID SECOND SEPARATION ZONE AND SEPARATING SAID COLLECTED VAPORS OF SAID NONSTRAIGHT CHAIN HYDROCARBON FROM SAID FIRST NORMAL ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBON THEREIN, AND RECOVERING VAPORS OF SAID SEPARATED NON-STRAIGHT CHAIN HYDROCARBONS AND SAID COLLECTED VAPORS OF SAID HEAVIER NORMAL ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBON AS PRODUCTS OF THE PROCESS, THE SAID MOLECULAR SIEVE SOLIDS BEING MAINTAINED CONSTANT TEMPERATURE THROUGHOUT SAID PROCESS.