Manfuacture of cycloparaffin hydrocarbons

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF A CYCLOHEXANE BY THE HYDROGENATION OF A BENZENE HYDROCARBON SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF BENZENE, TOLUENE, ETHYLBENZENE, AND XYLENE, WHICH PROCESS COMPRISES (A) CONTACTING SAID BENZENE HYDROCARBON WITH HYDROGEN, IN THE PRESENCE OF A HYDROGENATION CATALYST, AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN ABOUT 150* AND 700*F. AND A PRESSURE FROM ABOUT 50 TO 1500 P.S.I.G., SAID HYDROGEN BEING PRESENT IN AN AMOUNT FROM 3 TO 50 MOLS PER MOL OF BENZENE HYDROCARBON CHARGED, AND CONTINUING THE HYDROGENATION REACTION UNTIL ONLY A MINOR AMOUNT OF SAID BENZENE HYDROCARBON REMAINS UNCONVERTED, (B) REMOVING THE HYDROGENATION PRODUCTS FROM SAID HYDROGENATION REACTION ZONE, (C) SEPARATING SAID HYDROGENATION PRODUCTS INTO A GASEOUS STREAM WHICH CONTAINS HYDROGEN AND HYDROCARBONS BOILING BELOW THE BOILING POINT OF THE FEED BENZENE HYDROCARBON, AND A LIQUID STREAM CONSISTING OF ON THE ORDER OF LEAST 90% OF CYCLOPARAFFINS PRODUCED BY SAID HYDROGENATION REACTION AND A MINOR AMOUNT OF UNCONVERTED BENZENE HYDROCARBON, (D) PASSING SAID LIQUID STREAM INTO AN ADSORPTION VESSEL CONTAINING SILICA GEL AS THE SOLE ADSORBENT, WHEREIN BENZENE HYDROCARBON IS SELECTIVELY ADSORBED FROM SAID LIQUID STREAM AT A TEMPERATURE ON THE ORDER OF 50* TO