Refining of crude petroleum

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF REFINING CRUDE PETROLEUM CONTAINING 20% OR MORE OF AN HOMOLOGOUS SERIES OF AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS, WHICH COMPRISES: (A) DISTILLING THE ADEQUATELY DRY CRUDE AT SUBSTANTIALLY ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE, INTRODUCING STEAM, PRODUCING A DISTILLATE FRACTION COMPOSED OF NAPHTHA, GAS OIL AND LIGHT LUBRICATING OIL-AND RESIDUAL REDUCED CRUDE; TREATING THE COMPOSITE DISTILLATE WITH CAUSTIC SODA (NAOH)SOLUTION:FORMING SODIUM SALTS OF NAPHTHENIC ACIDS AND PHENOLIC COMPOUNDS WHICH ARE CONTAINED IN THE ALKALINE SOLUTION, REDUCING THE SULPHUR CONTENT OF THE OIL-AND RECOVERING THE ORGANIC ACIDS FROM THE DISTILLING, INTRODUCING STEAM, AND FRACTIONATING THE OIL OIL WITH FURFURAL, SEPARATING THE MIXTURE INTO A PART COMPOSED PRODOMINANTLY OF HYDROCARBONS OF THE PARAFFIN SERIES-AND AN EXTRACT COMPOSED OF THE FURFURAL USED AND HYDROCARBONS OF THE AROMATIC SERIES WHICH IT SEPARATES; DISTILLING, INTRODUCING STEAM, AND FRACTIONATING THE OIL COMPOSED PREDOMINANTLY OF HYDROCARBONS OF THE PARAFFIN SERIES, OBTAINING LIGHT NAPHTHA, STODDARD SOLVENT, HIGH CETANE NUMBER DIESEL FUEL-AND RESIDUAL LIGHT LUBRICATING OIL, AND TREATING THE LIGHT LUBRICATING OIL WITH ABSORBENT; SEPARATING THE FURFURAL FROM THE AROMATIC OIL AND RECOVERING IT FOR REUSE AS THE SELECTIVE SOLVENT; WITH THE AROMATIC OIL WHICH HAS BEEN FREED OF FURFURAL, WITH SODIUM HYDROXIDE (NAOH) SOLUTION, REDUCING THE SULPHUR CONTENT, DEHYDRATING, AND DISTILLING THE ALKALINE OIL, INTRODUCING STEAM, PRODUCING AROMATIC FRACTIONS, AROMATIC ADDITIVE COMPOSITIONS-AND AN ALKALINE RESIDUUM; (B) DISTILLING UNDER HIGH VACUUM OF 1 MM.-5 MM. OF MERCURY ABSOLUTE PRESSURE, OF THE ANHYDROUS REDUCED CRUDE, PRODUCING LUBRICATING DISTILLATE-AND ASPHATIC RESIDUM; CONTACTING THE ANHYDROUS LUBIRCATING DISTILLATE WITH FURFURAL AT SUBSTANTIALLY ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE AND AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURE, SEPARATING THE MIXTURE INTO A PORTION COMPOSED PREDOMINATLY OF HYDROCARBONS OF THE PARAFFIN SERIES, AND AN EXTRACT COMPOSED OF THE FURFURAL AND THE AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS WHICH IS SEPARATES; TREATING THE PORTION COMPOSES SUBSTANTIALLY OF HYDROCARBONS OF THE PARAFFIN SERIES WITH CONCENTRATED SULPHURIC ACID, AND REMOVING THE FORMED ACID SULDE-NEUTRALIZING THE ACID OIL WITH CAUSTIC SODA (NAOH) SOLUTION, THEREBY FURTHER REDUCING THE SULPHUR CONTENT-DEHYDRATING, DISTILLING AND FRACTIONATING UNDER HIGH VACUUM OF 1 MM.-5 MM. OF MERCURY ABSOLUTE PRESSURE, AND RECOVERING FRACTIONS COMPOSED PREDOMINANTLY OF HYDROCARBONS OF THE PARAFFIN SERIES-AND AN ALKALINE RESIDUUM; MIXING THE ALKALINE RESIDUUM WITH SUFFICIENT WATER, HEATING THE MIXTURE TO A TEMPERATURE BELOW 212*F; SETTLING, AND SEPARATING THE ALKALINE SOLUTION FROM THE OIL, WASHING THE ALKOLINE OIL WITH WATER FOR THE COMPLETE REMOVAL OF ALL TRACES OF ALKALI, DEHYDRATING, AND PRODUCING AN ANHYDROUS, HIGHLY VISCOUS, PARAFFINIC LUBRICATING OIL; SEPARATING THE FURFURAL FROM THE EXTRACT AND RECOVERING IT FOR REUSE AS THE SELECTIVE SOLVENT, OBTAINING AN OIL COMPOSED PREDOMINANTLY OF HYDROCARBONS OF THE AROMATIC SERIES; CONTACTING THIS OIL WITH SODIUM HYDROXIDE (NAOH) SOLUTION, FURTHER REDUCING THE SULPHUR CONTENT-DEHYDRATING, AND FRACTIONATING BY DISTILLATION UNDER HIGH VACUUM OF 1 MM.-5 MM. OF MERCURY ABSOLUTE PRESSURE, PRODUCING FRACTIONS COMPOSED PREDOMINATLY OF HYDROCARONS OF THE AROMATIC SERIES-AND AN ALKALI RESIDUUM.