Purification of unsaturated hydrocarbons by adsorption using a molecular sieve adsorbent

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PURIFYING UNSATURATED HYDROCARBON COMPOUNDS HAVING TWO TO FIVE CARBON ATOMS PER MOLECULE IN A LIQUID FEED MIXTURE ALSO CONTAINING AN IMPURITY CONSTITUENT BEING MORE STRONGLY ADSORBABLE THAN THE UNSATURATE BY ACTIVATED CRYSTALLINE ZEOLITIC MOLECULAR SIEVE OF SUFFICIENT PORE SIZE TO RECEIVE THE UNSATURATE AND IMPURITY CONSTITUENTS, WHICH PROCESS COMPRISES THE STEPS OF PROVIDING AT LEAST ONE BED OF SAID MOLECULAR SIEVE AND PASSING SAID LIQUID FEED MIXTURE THROUGH SAID BED AT SUBSTANTIALLY AMBIENT TERMPERATURE AND COADSORBING THE PREFERENTIALLY ADSORBED IMPURITY AND THE LESS STRONGLY ADSORBED UNSATURATE; DISCHARGING A LIQUID EFFLUENT FROM THE EXIT END OF THE BED BEING DEPLETED OF THE IMPURITY AND UNSATURATE, AND CONTINUING THE COADSORPTION AND DISCHARGE STEPS THEREBY PROGRESSIVVELY DISPLACING THE LESS STRONGLY ADSORBED UNSATURATE BY THE MORE STRONGLY ADSORBED IMPURITY FROM THE INLET END OWARD THE EXIT END UNTIL THE BED IS LOADED