Regeneration of a nitrogen base containing ion exchanger

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR REFINING A LIQUID HYDROCARBON STREAM CONTAINING ORGANIC NITROGEN BASE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF CONTACTING THE HYDROCARBON STREAM WITH A SOLID ORGANIC SULFONATED RESIN CATION EXCHANGER SUBSTANTIALLY IN HYDROGEN FORM AND CHARACTERIZED BY ITS HIGH MOBILITY PROTONS IN SUCH MANNER THAT SAID NITROGEN BASES ARE RETAINED AS ORGANIC AMMONIUM IONS BY THE CATION EXCHANGER, REMOVING THE RESULTING REFINED LIQUID HYDROCARBON STREAM FROM THE CATION EXCHANGER, CONTACTING THE EXCHANGER AT LEAST ABOUT 60% SATURATED WITH NITROGEN BASES RELATIVE TO ITS ION EXCHANGE SITES TO REGENERATE THE EXCHANGER WITH AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION CONTAINING 5-25% OF A SALT OF A MINERAL ACID HAVING POSITIVE IONS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALKALI METAL AND INORGANIC AMMONIUM RADICALS TO DISPLACE AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE ORGANIC AMMONIUM IONS WITH SAID POSITIVE IONS AND DURING THE COURSE OF THE REGENERATION IN TURN REPLACING AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE POSITIVE DISPLACING IONS WITH HYDROGEN IONS APPLIED BY AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION CONTAINING 5-25% OF A MINERAL ACID TO EFFECT REGENERATION OF SAID EXCHANGER TO THE HYDROGEN FORM.