Combination reforming and solvent extraction process

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING HIGH OCTANE GASOLINE BLENDING STOCK FROM LOW OCTANE NAPHTHA CHARGE STOCK BY CATALYTICALLY REFORMING AT LESS THAN ONCE THROUGH REFORMING SEVERITY WHICH PROCESS COMPRISES REFORMING A NAPHTHA CHARGE STOPCK CONSISTING OF A C7+ NAPHTHA BOILING IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 200 TO 400*F. IN THE PRESENCE OF A PLATINUM-ALUMINA TYPE REFORMING CATALYST, SAID CATALYST CONTAINING FROM ABOUT 0.1 TO 1.0 WEIGHT PERCENT PLATINUM, AND RECYCLE HYDROGEN, UNDER A COMBINATION OF CONDITIONS INCLUDING A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 850*F. TO 1000*F., A PRESSURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 50 P.S.I.G. TO 100 P.S.I.G., A WEIGHT HOURLY SPACE VELOCITY IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 0.1 TO 5.0 AND A HYDROGEN RECYCLE RATE IN THE RANGE OF 1000 TO 10,000 CUBIC FEET PER BARREL, THEREBY PROVIDING A SEVERITY SO AS TO PRODUCE A TOTAL C5+ REFORMATE HAVING AN OCTANE NUMBER OF AT LEAST ABOUT 95 CFR-R CLEAR, FRACTIONATING SAID REFORMATE AT A CUT POINT IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 220*F. TO 270*F. TO OBTAIN A LIGHT FRACTION BOILING IN THE RANGE OF C4+ TO SAID CUT POINT COMPRISING ABOUT 35 TO 60 VOLUME PERCENT OF THE TOTAL C5+ REFORMATE AND A HEAVY FRACTION BOILING IN THE RANGE OF SAID CUT POINT TO ABOUT 430*F. COMPRISING ABOUT 40 TO 65 VOLUME PERCENT OF THE TOTAL C5+ REFORMATE AND CONTAINING AT LEAST 75 VOLUME PERCENT AROMATICS, WHEREIN SAID CUT POINT IS AT ABOUT 270*F. WHEN SAID TOTAL C5+ REFORMATE OCTANE NUMBER IS ABOUT 95 CFR-R CLEAR AND SAID CUT POINT IS DECREASED TOWARDS 220*F. AS THE OCTANE NUMBER OF SAID TOTAL C5+ REFORMATE INCREASES ABOVE 95 CFR-R CLEAR, CONTACTING SAID LIGHT FRACTION WITH A SELECTIVE SOLVENT COMPRISING BUTYROLACTONE TO SEPARATE AN AROMATICS-RICH EXTRACT OF HIGH OCTANE NUMBER AND A LOW OCTANE RAFFINATE, SEPARATING SAID AROMATICS-RICH EXTRACT FROM SOLVENT, RECYCLING SOLVENT TO SAID SOLVENT EXTRACTION ZONE, AND THEREAFTER BLENDING SAID AROMATICS-RICH EXTRACT WITH SAID HEAVY FRACTION TO OBTAIN A HIGH OCTANE GASOLINE BLENDING STOCK.