Vapor phase separation of organic compounds utilizing werner complexes

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR SEPARATING A MIXTURE OF ORGANIC COMPOUNDS, SAID MIXTURE INCLUDING AN AROMATIC COMPOUND DIFFERING IN MOLECULAR CONFIGURATION FROM ANOTHER COMPOUND IN SAID MIXTURE, WHICH COMPRISES: (1) CONTACTING SAID MIXTURE IN THE VAPOR PHASE WITH A PREFORMED SOLID WERNER COMPLEX COMPRISING ONE MOLE PROPORTION OF A SALT OF A METAL OF ATOMIC NUMBER ABOVE 12 COORDINATED WITH AT LEAST 2 MOLE PROPORTIONS OF A HETEROCYCLIC NITROGEN BASE, SAID CONTACTING BEING EFFECTED IN THE PRESENCE OF A FREE HETEROCYCLIC NITROGEN BASE, WHEREBY THERE IS OBTAINED A MIXTURE OF RAFFINATE PRODUCT LEAN IN SAID AROMATIC COMPOUND AND A SOLID FEED CLATHRATE COMPRISING SAID WERNER COMPLEX IN CLATHRATE ASSOCIATION WITH SAID AROMATIC COMPOUND, (2) SEPARATING SAID FEED CLATHRATE FROM SAID RAFFINATE PRODUCT, (3) CONTACTING SAID FEED CLATHRATE WITH A DISPLACEMENT EXCHANGE MEDIUM IN THE VAPOR PHASE, SAID CONTACTING BEING EFFECTED IN THE PRESENCE OF A FREE HETEROCYCLIC NITROGEN BASE AND SAID DISPLACEMENT EXCHANGE MEDIUM BEING A CLATHRATABLE COMPOUND WHICH IS READILY SEPARABLE FROM THE COMPONENTS OF SAID MIXTURE, WHEREBY THERE IS OBTAINED AN EXTRACT PRODUCT RICH IN SAID AROMATIC HYDROCARBON AND A SOLID DISPLACEMENT EXCHANGE CLATHRATE COMPRISING SAID WERNER COMPLEX IN CLATHRATE ASSOCIATION WITH SAID DISPLACEMENT EXCHANGE MEDIUM, AND (4) SEPARATING SAID EXTRACT PRODUCT FROM SAID DISPLACEMENT EXCHANGE CLATHRATE, ALL OF SAID CONTACTING AND SAID SEPARATING BEING CONDUCTED IN THE ABSENCE OF A LIQUID PHASE.