Separation of hydrocarbons with an adsorbent slurry

Claim 1

THE PROCESS WHICH COMPRISES: (1) INTRODUCING INTO AN ADSORPTION ZONE A GASEOUS HYDROCARBON FEED MIXTURE (2) INTRODUCING INTO SAID ADSORPTION ZONE A LEAN CIRCULABLE ADSORBENT SLURRY COMPRISING A GRANULAR PARTIALLY DEHYDRATED CRYSTALLINE ZEROLITIC METALLO ALUMINO SILICATE ADSORBENT HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM DIAMETER PORES BETWEEN ABOUT 4 A. AND ABOUT 5.5 A. IN DIAMETER AND AN INERT ORGANIC LIQUID SUSPENDING MEDIUM WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY NON-ADSORBED BY SAID GRANULAR ADSORBENT, WHICH HAS A BOILING POINT SUBSTANTIALLY HIGHER THAN SAID HYDROCARBON FEED MIXTURE, AND IN WHICH THE HYDROCARBON COMPONENTS OF SAID FEED MIXTURE ARE SOLUBLE TO AN EXTENT OF AT LEAST ABOUT 0.1 PERCENT BY WEIGHT; (3) INTIMATELY CONTACTING SAID FEED MIXTURE WITH SAID LEAN ADSORBENT SLURRY IN SAID ADSORPTION ZONE WHEREBY THERE IS PRODUCED A FIRST RICH ADSORBENT SLURRY COMPRISING SAID SILICATE CONTAINING SELECTIVELY ADSORBED HYDROCARBON COMPONENTS OF SAID FEED MIXTURE AND A RAFFINATE GAS PHASE COMPRISING UNADSORBED HYDROCARBONS; (4) WITHDRAWING SAID RAFFINATE GAS PHASE FROM SAID ADSORPTION ZONE; (5) WITHDRAWING SAID FIRST ADSORBENT SLURRY FROM SAID ADSORPTION ZONE; (6) SEPARATING SAID FIRST RICH ADSORBENT SLURRY INTO A RICH SOLID ADSORBENT AND A RICH LIQUID SUSPENDING MEDIUM; (7) TREATING SAID SEPARATING RICH LIQUID SUSPENDING MEDIUM TO STRIP ADSORBED FEED COMPONENTS THEREFORM; (8) COMBINING SAID STRIPPED LIQUID SUSPENDING MEDIUM AND SAID SEPARATED RICH ABSORBENT TO FORM A SECOND RICH ADSORBENT SLURRY; (9) TREATING SAID SECOND RICH ADSORBENT SLURRY IN A DESORPTION ZONE TO REMOVE SAID SELECTIVELY ADSORBED HYDROCARBON COMPONENTS THEREFROM TO PRODUCE A LEAN ADSORBENT SLURRY; AND (10) RETURINING SAID LEAN ADSORBENT SLURRY TO SAID ADSORPTION ZONE FOR REUSE.