Acetylene purification

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR SEPARATING C2 AND HEAVIER HYDROCARBONS INCLUDING C6 HYDROCARBONS FROM A GAS MIXTURE CONTAINING THE SAME AND ACETYLENE COMPRISING CONTACTING SAID GAS MIXTURE IN A FIRST ABSORPTION ZONE WITH A FIRST HEAVY NAPHTHA STREAM UNDER SUITABLE CONDITIONS TO ABSORB SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF SAID C4 HYDROCARBONS FROM SAID GAS MIXTURE, CONTACTING THE RESULTANT GAS MIXTURE FROM THE FIRST ABSORPTION ZONE WITH A SECOND HEARVY NAPHTHA STREAM PROVIDING A MOLAR RATIO OF A HEAVY NAPHTHA TO GAS BETWEEN ABOUT 8 AND ABOUT 30 TIMES A GREAT AS THAT PROVIDED BY SAID FIRST HEAVY NAPHTHA STREAM IN SAID FIRST ABSORPTION ZONE IN A SECOND ABSORPTION ZONE MAINTAINED UNDER SUITABLE CONDITIONS TO ABSORB SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF SAID C3 HYDROCARBONS FROM SAID RESULTANT GAS MIXTURE, CONTACTING BOTTOMS FROM SAID FIRST ABSORPTION ZONE WITH A STRIPPING GAS IN A FIRST STRIPPING ZONE UNDER CONDITIONS SUITABLE TO REMOVE HYDROCARBONS ABSORBED IN SAID FIRST ABSORPTION ZONE, CONTACTING BOTTOMS FROM SAID SECOND ABSORPTION ZONE WITH A STRIPPING GAS IN A SECOND STRIPPING ZONE UNDER CONDITIONS SUITABLE TO REMOVE HYDROCARBONS ABSORBED IN SAID SECOND ABSORPTION ZONE, AND RECYCLING AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE BOTTOMS FROM EACH OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND STRIPPING ZONES, RESPECTIVELY, TO SAID FIRST AND SECOND ABSORPTION ZONES, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES PASSING AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE OVERHEAD FRACTION FROM THE SECOND STRIPPING ZONE TO THE FIRST STRIPPING ZONE TO PROVIDE AT LEAST PORTION OF SAID STRIPPING GAS SUPPLIED TO SAID FIRST STRIPPING ZONE.