Solvent extraction of aromatics from hydrocarbon mixtures

Claim 1

AN AROMATIC HYDROCARBON RECOVERY PROCESS WHICH COMPRISES CONTACTING A HYDROCARBON MIXTURE CONTAINING AROMATIC AND NON-AROMATIC HYDROCARBON COMPONENTS WITH A SOLVENT COMPOSITION WHICH SELECTIVELY DISSOLVES THE AROMATIC COMPONENT OF SAID MIXTURE AND WHIICH CONTAINS WATER AND AN ORGANIC SOLVENT BOILING ABOVE SAID AROMATIC COMPONENT, SEPARATING A RESULTING RAFFINATE PHASE COMPRISING SAID NON-AROMATIC HYDROCARBON FROM A RICH SOLVENT PHASE COMPRISING SOLVENT CONTAINING DISSOLVED AROMATIC COMPONENT, DISTILLING SAID RICH SOLVENT PHASE, RECOVERING OVERHEAD FROM THE DISTILLING STEP AND AQUEOUS CONDENSATE COMPRISING EXTRACTED AROMATIC COMPONENT OF GREATEST VOLATILITY AND A SIDE-CUT FRACTION COMPRISING A MAJOR PROPORTION OF THE EXTRACTED AROMATIC HYDROGEN, SEPARATING AN AROMATIC-CONTAINING AQUEOUS CONDENSATE FROM SAID SIDE-CUT FRACTION, WASHING SAID RAFFINATE WITH WATER AND SEPARATELY RECOVERING AN AQUEOUS WASH EFFLUENT CONTAINING RAFFINATE COMPONENT AND SOLVENT WASHED FROM THE SAID RAFFINATE, THEREAFTER MIXING SAID AQUEOUS WASH EFFLUENT WITH AT LEAST ONE OF SAID AQUEOUS CONDENSATES TO DISPLACE RAFFINATE COMPONENT IN THE WASH EFFLUENT WITH AROMATIC HYDROCARBON CONTAINED IN THE AQUEOUS CONDENSATE, RECOVERING A SUBSTANTIALLY RAFFINATE-FREE AQUEOUS SOLVENT PHASE FROM A HYDROCARBON PHASE COMPRISING RAFFINATE DISPLACED FROM SAID AQUEOUS SOLVENT, AND INTRODUCING THE RESULTING AQUEOUS SOLVENT INTO THE RICH SOLVENT DURING THE DISTILLING STEP.