Hydrogen halide recovery process

Claim 1

IN THE EXTRACTION OF HYDROGEN HALIDE FROM A MIXTURE CONTAINING SAID HYDROGEN HALIDE AND A HALOGENATED HYDROCARBON HAVING NOT MORE THAN 7 CARBON ATOMS, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES: IN AN EXTRACTION ZONE, COUNTERCURRENTLY CONTACTING THE MIXTURE WITH A SOLUTION OF HYDROGEN HALIDE WHEREIN THE HYDROGEN HALIDE OF THE SOLUTION IS DISSOLVED IN AN INERT SOLVENT AND IS MAINTAINED AT A CONCENTRATION BETWEEN ABOUT 15 PERCENT AND ABOUT 40 PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF HALIDE; MAINTAINING A WEIGHT RATIO IN EXCESS OF 10:1 OF THE HYDROGEN HALIDE IN THE SOLUTION WITH RESPECT TO THE HYDROGEN HALIDE IN THE MIXTURE; EXTRACTING THE HYDROGEN HALIDE FROM THE MIXTURE IN THE HYDROGEN HALIDE SOLUTION AND INCREASING THE CONCENTRATION OF THE HALIDE IN THE SOLUTION WHILE ALLOWING THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID SOLUTION TO RISE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE HEAT OF ABSORPTION; WITHDRAWING AND PASSING THE HEATED HYDROGEN HALIDEENRICHED SOLUTION FROM THE EXTRACTION ZONE TO A FLASHING ZONE; IN THE FLASHING ZONE UTILIZING THE HEAT GENERATED IN THE EXTRACTION ZONE TO ADIABATICALLY FLASH THE HYDROGEN HALIDE-ENRICHED SOLUTION AND VAPORIZING THE PORTION OF THE HYDROGEN HALIDE ABSORBED IN THE EXTRACTION ZONE; SEPARATING SUBSTANTIALLY PURE HYDROGEN HALIDE VAPORS FROM THE FLASHING ZONE; AND RECYCLING THE REMAINING HYDROGEN HALIDE SOLUTION WHICH IS COOLED BY FLASHING TO THE EXTRACTION ZONE AT THE CONCENTRATION AND TEMPERATURE MAINTAINED THEREIN.