Iodine recovery from organic iodides

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR THE IODINATIVE DEHYDROGENATION OF A FIRST HYDROCARBON TO AT LEAST A SECOND HYDROCARBON HAVING A HIGHER CARBON-TO-HYDROGEN RATIO, WHEREIN THE FIRST HYDROCARBON AND A REACTIVE IODINE SPECIES ARE REACTED AT A TEMPERATURE IN EXCESS OF 200*C. IN AN ENVIRONMENT OF A METALLIC BASE AND CORRESPONDING METAL IODIDE, WHEREBY A SECOND HYDROCARBON AND HYDROGEN IODIDE ARE PRODUCED, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING THE RECOVERY OF THE IODINE FROM RESULTING ORGANIC IODIDE FORMED IN THE REACTION ZONE BY (1) FRACTIONALLY DISTILLING SEPARATED ORGANIC PRODUCT STREAM CONTAINING ORGANIC IODIDE AND SECOND HYDROCARBON; (2) CATALYTICALLY HYDROGENATING SEPARATED FRACTIONAL CUTS CONTAINING ORGANIC IODIDES AND SUBSTANTIALLY FREE FROM SECOND HYDROCARBON UNDER PRESSURE TO CONVERT THE ORGANIC IODIDES TO HYDROCARBONS AND HYDROGEN IODIDE; (3) PASSING THE RESULTING HYDROGENATED STREAM THROUGH AQUEOUS LITHIUM HYDROXIDE/LITHIUM IODIDE SOLUTION UNDER PRESSURE AND AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE TO ABSORB THE HYDROGEN IODIDE; AND (4) RETURNING THE RESULTING AQUEOUS STREAM TO THE IODINATIVE DEHYDROGENATION OPERATION.