Recovery of aromatic and olefinic hydrocarbons

Claim 1

IN AN EXTRACTION PROCESS FOR PREPARING A VERY PURE AROMATIC HYDROCARBON FRACTION FROM A HYDROCARBON MIXTURE CONTAINING A LARGE PROPORTION OF POLY-UNSATURATED HYDROCARBONS, THE STEPS COMPRISING IN COMBINATION SUBJECTING THE MIXTURE TO SELECTIVE HYDROGENATION AT A TEMPERATURE BELOW 100*C. IN THE PRESENCE OF A NOBLE METAL CATALYST AND HYDROGEN UNDER MILD HYDROGENATION CONDITIONS TO YIELD A MIXTURE CONSISTING OF MONO-OLEFINS AND AROMATICS AND THEREAFTER EXTRACTING THE AROMATICS BY CONTACTING THE RESULTING MIXTURE WITH A SELECTIVE SOLVENT CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A MAJOR PROPORTION OF N-METHYL PYRROLIDONE AND A MINOR PROPORTION OF WATER, REMOVING SAID SELECTIVE SOLVENT WITH SAID AROMATICS DISSOLVED THEREIN AND RECOVERING THE AROMATICS TO YIELD AN AROMATIC HYDROCARBON FRACTION WHICH IS AT LEAST 99.8% PURE.