US4179362A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Process for aromatics extraction from a 300°-430° F. boiling range naphtha
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1978-01-05
•
Granted: 1979-12-18
•
Expires: 1998-01-05
Abstract
Abstract Petroleum fractions may be separated into aromatic rich and paraffinic-rich hydrocarbon streams by the use of methanol/water mixtures having at least 10% water by volume. The paraffinic-rich stream is recovered as raffinate and the aromatic-rich as extract. After the extraction step additional water is added to the extract and raffinate streams where it acts as an anti-solvent to effect separation of the hydrocarbon from the solvent. The water and methanol are then separated for example by flash distillation or by using super critical CO 2 as an extraction solvent.
Inventors
- 👤 Cyrus A. Irani
- 👤 Stephen S. Kasegrande
- 👤 Daniel J. McHugh
- 👤 Frederic Leder
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 02:36
CPC Classifications
C; C10; C10G; C10G21/00; C10G21/06; C10G21/12; C10G21/16; C10G21/28
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
134 words
A process for the separation of aromatic and paraffinic hydrocarbon constituents of an aromatic-containing petroleum distillate which comprises the steps of (1) contacting the petroleum distillate at a temperature of about 150°-450° F. with a solvent comprising a mixture of methanol and water in which the water comprises at least 10% by volume to produce an aromatic-rich extract phase and a paraffinic-rich raffinate phase; (2) separating the aromatic-rich extract phase from the paraffinic-rich raffinate phase; and (3) contacting the separated aromatic-rich extract phase and paraffinic-rich raffinate phase directly, without further processing, with water to result in a water/methanol solvent containing at least 80% water by volume, thereby separating said aromatic-rich extract phase and paraffinic-rich raffinate phase from their respective solvent streams and recovering as products a paraffinic-rich hydrocarbon stream and an aromatic-rich hydrocarbon stream.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
134 words
A process for the separation of aromatic and paraffinic hydrocarbon constituents of an aromatic-containing petroleum distillate which comprises the steps of (1) contacting the petroleum distillate at a temperature of about 150°-450° F. with a solvent comprising a mixture of methanol and water in which the water comprises at least 10% by volume to produce an aromatic-rich extract phase and a paraffinic-rich raffinate phase; (2) separating the aromatic-rich extract phase from the paraffinic-rich raffinate phase; and (3) contacting the separated aromatic-rich extract phase and paraffinic-rich raffinate phase directly, without further processing, with water to result in a water/methanol solvent containing at least 80% water by volume, thereby separating said aromatic-rich extract phase and paraffinic-rich raffinate phase from their respective solvent streams and recovering as products a paraffinic-rich hydrocarbon stream and an aromatic-rich hydrocarbon stream.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process according to claim 1 wherein the petroleum distillate is a catalytic naphtha.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
The process according to claim 1 in which in step 1 the solvent to petroleum distillate volume ratio is from about 0.5 to about 5.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
The process according to claim 1 wherein in step 1 the extraction temperature is between about 200° and 350° F.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
The process according to claim 1 in which the methanol/water solvent used to contact the petroleum distillate contains from about 10 to about 40 volume % of water.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
The process according to claim 5 in which the methanol/water solvent contains about 25 volume % of water.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
The process according to claim 6 in which in step 3 water is added to the solvent/hydrocarbon mixture to result in a solvent containing at least 60% by volume H 2 O.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
The process according to claim 7 in which sufficient water is added to result in a solvent containing at least 80% water by volume.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
44 words
The process according to claim 1 in which the paraffinic-rich hydrocarbon phase obtained in step 2 and the aromatic-rich hydrocarbon phase obtained in step 2 are separately passed to flashing zones where any residual methanol/water solvent is removed for recycling to the extraction zone.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
23 words
The process according to claim 1 in which the reconstitution of the solvent in step 3 is accomplished by means of flash distillation.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
The process according to claim 1 in which the reconstitution of the solvent in step 3 is accomplished by using super critical CO 2 as an extraction solvent.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1982-12-17 | 1983-06-18 | 1983-12-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1986-12-17 | 1987-06-18 | 1987-12-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1990-12-17 | 1991-06-18 | 1991-12-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |