Aromatic hydrocarbon separation via solvent extraction

A process for the recovery of polar hydrocarbons from a mixture thereof with non-polar hydrocarbons, which process comprises the steps of:

• a. introducing said polar/non-polar hydrocarbon mixture into an extraction zone and therein countercurrently contacting said mixture with a solvent characteristically selective for absorbing polar hydrocarbons, removing a non-polar hydrocarbon raffinate stream from said zone and removing a polar hydrocarbon, solvent-rich extract phase from said zone;
• b. introducing said extract phase into a stripper column, removing a non-polar hydrocarbon concentrate from said stripper column, through an upper locus thereof, and removing a solvent-rich, polar hydrocarbon concentrate through a lower locus thereof;
• c. introducing said polar hydrocarbon concentrate into a recovery column, through an upper first locus thereof, introducing a first vaporous stripping medium into a lower second locus thereof, recovering a substantially solvent-free, polar hydrocarbon concentrate through an upper third locus thereof, removing a substantially hydrocarbon-free, first solvent-rich stream from a lower fourth locus thereof and removing a second solvent-rich stream, containing hydrocarbons, through a fifth locus intermediate said first and second loci;
• d. introducing a portion of said first solvent-rich stream into the upper section of a solvent regenerating zone and introducing a second vaporous stripping medium into the lower section of said regenerating zone and recovering a regenerated solvent stream containing substantially all of the second vaporous stripping medium;
• e. introducing said regenerated solvent stream into said recovery column as at least a portion of said first vaporous stripping medium;
• f. introducing a portion of said second solvent-rich stream into said stripper column through an intermediate locus thereof;
• and,
• g. introducing another portion of said second solvent-rich stream, with said polar/non-polar hydrocarbon mixture, into said extraction zone.