Removal of HF from the sludge resulting from the treatment of a hydrocarbon

A process for removing HF from the sludge resulting from the HF treatment of hydrocarbons, said process comprising:

• a. adding to the sludge, aqueous caustic and more than 10%, by volume, based on the sludge, of a liquid aromatic diluent containing at least 30 weight percent aromatics, to form an admixture,
• b. allowing the admixture of step (a) to form an aqueous phase and a hydrocarbon phase, and
• c. separating the aqueous phase and the hydrocarbon phase, said process being characterized further in that:
• a. the aqueous caustic solution contains from about 1 to about 50 weight percent caustic, and
• b. the amount and concentration of aqueous caustic are such as to provide an amount of caustic which is in the range of about 1 to about 1,000 times the stoichiometric requirement, based on the HF present in the sludge.