Separation of hydrocarbons using zeolitic molecular sieves

Claim 2

A PROCESS FOR THE SEPARATION OF NORMAL HYDROCARBONS FROM A MIXTURE OF A PLURALITY OF NORMAL HYDROCARBONS OF AT LEAST FOUR CARBON ATOMS PER MOLECULE WITH NON-NORMAL HYDROCARBONS OF SIMILAR BOILING RANGE WHICH COMPRISES: (1) PASSING A VAPOR STREAM OF THE HYDROCARBON MIXTURE INTO A PARTICULTE FIXED MASS OF A SOLID ZEOLITIC MATERIAL HAVING A RIGID THREE-DIMENSIONAL ANIONIC NETWORK AND HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM INTRACRYSTALLINE INTERSTITIAL CHANNELS OF FROM ABOUT 5 TO ABOUT 6 ANGSTROM UNITS DIAMETER WHILE MAINTAINING A CONTACTING TEMPERATURE OF FROM 250*C. TO 600*C. TO SELECTIVELY RETARD THE PASSAGE OF AT LEAST THE HIGHER MOLECULAR WEIGHT NORMAL HYDROCARBONS THROUGH THE MASS WHILE THE REMAINING HYDROCARBONS PASS THROUGH THE MASS AND ARE RECOVERED AS A NON-NORMALHYCARBON-ENRICHED PRODUCT, (2) DISCONTINUING PASSAGE OF THE MIXTURE TO THE MASS BEFORE NORMAL HYDROCARBONS OF AT LEAST THE HIGHEST CARBON NUMBER APPEAR IN SUBSTANTIAL PROPORTION IN THE EFFUENT FROM THE MASS, (3) PASSING A GASEOUS ELUTING MATERIAL THROUGH THE ZEOLITE MASS TO ELUTE FROM ABOUT ONE-TENTH TO ABOUT ONE-HALF OF THE RETAINED HYDROCARBONS FROM THE WHOLE OF THE ZEOLITIC MASS AS A NORMAL HYDROCARBON ENRICHED STREAM, AND (4) REPEATING THE CYCLE OF STEPS 1, 2 AND 3.

Claim 3

A CYCLE PROCESS FOR THE SEPARATION OF A NORMAL HYFROCARBON FROM NON-NORMAL HYDROCARBONS, SAID NORMAL HYDROCARBONS HAVING FROM ABOUT FIVE TO ABOUT TEN CARBON ATOMS PER MOLECULE, WHICH COMPRISES (1) PASSING A VAPOR STREAM OF A MIXTURE OF SAID HYDROCARBONS INTO A PARTICULATE FIXED MASS OF A SOLID ZEOLITIC MATERIAL HAVING A RIGID THREE-DIMENSIONAL ANIONIC NETWORK AND HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM INTRACRYSTALLINE INTERSTITIAL CHANNELS OF FROM ABOUT 5 TO ABOUT 6 ANGSTROM UNITS DIAMETER WHILE MAINTAINING A CONTACTING TEMPERATURE OF FROM 250*C. TO 600*C. TO SELECTIVELY RETARD THE PASSAGE OF THE NORMAL HYDROCARBON THROUGH THE MASS WHILE THE NON-NORMAL HYDROCARBONS PASS THROUGH THE MASS AND ARE RECOVERED AS A NON-NORMAL-HYDROCARBON-ENRICHED PRODUCT, (2) DISCONTINUING PASSAGE OF THE MIXTURE TO THE MASS BEFORE THE NORMAL HYDROCARBON APPEARS IN SUBSTANTIAL PROPORTION IN THE EFFLUENT FROM THE MASS, (3) PASSING A GASEOUS ELUTING MATERIAL THROUGH THE ZEOLITE MASS TO ELUTE FROM ABOUT ONE-TENTH TO ABOUT ONE-HALF OF THE RETAINED HYDROCARBON FROM THE WHOLE OF THE ZEOLITIC MASS AS A NORMAL HYDROCARBON ENRICHED STREAM, AND (4) RETAINED HYDROCARBON FROM THE WHOLE OF THE ZEOLITIC MASS AS A NORMAL HYDROCARBON ENRICHED STREAM, AND (4) REPEATING THE CYCLE OF STEPS 1, 2 AND 3.

Claim 4

A CYCLE PROCESS FOR THE SEPARATION OF A NORMAL HYFROCARBON FROM NON-NORMAL HYDROCARBONS, SAID NORMAL HYDROCARBONS HAVING FROM ABOUT FIVE TO ABOUT TEN CARBON ATOMS PER MOLECULE, WHICH COMPRISES (1) PASSING A VAPOR STREAM OF A MIXTURE OF SAID HYDROCARBONS INTO A PARTICULATE FIXED MASS OF A SOLID ZEOLITIC MATERIAL HAVING A RIGID THREE-DIMENSIONAL ANIONIC NETWORK AND HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM INTRACRYSTALLINE INTERSTITIAL CHANNELS OF FROM ABOUT 5 TO ABOUT 6 ANGSTROM UNITS DIAMETER WHILE MAINTAINING A CONTACTING TEMPERATURE OF FROM 250*C. TO 600*C. TO SELECTIVELY RETARD THE PASSAGE OF THE NORMAL HYDROCARBON THROUGH THE MASS WHILE THE NON-NORMAL HYDROCARBONS PASS THROUGH THE MASS AND ARE RECOVERED AS A NON-NORMAL-HYDROCARBON-ENRICHED PRODUCT, (2) DISCONTINUING PASSAGE OF THE MIXTURE TO THE MASS BEFORE THE NORMAL HYDROCARBON APPEARS IN SUBSTANTIAL PROPORTION IN THE EFFLUENT FROM THE MASS, (3) PASSING A GASEOUS ELUTING MATERIAL THROUGH THE ZEOLITE MASS TO ELUTE FROM ABOUT ONE-TENTH TO ABOUT ONE-HALF OF THE RETAINED HYDROCARBON FROM THE WHOLE OF THE ZEOLITIC MASS AS A NORMAL HYDROCARBON ENRICHED STREAM, AND (4) RETAINED HYDROCARBON FROM THE WHOLE OF THE ZEOLITIC MASS AS A NORMAL HYDROCARBON ENRICHED STREAM, AND (4) REPEATING THE CYCLE OF STEPS 1, 2 AND 3.