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US 4,059,505 AGranted
Separating hydrocarbons
AssigneeThe British Petroleum Company p.l.c.
InventorsColin William Cartwright, Donald Lamb
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Molecular sieve pressure swing separating process is modified by stopping the feed before the end of the adsorption stage and passing a mixture richer in n-paraffins than the feed through the sieve bed. Suitable mixtures include purge effluent and desorpting effluent. This enhances the purity of the product.
Claims8
A cyclic vapour phase process for separating n-paraffins boiling in the gasoline, kerosine or gas oil ranges from a feed mixture thereof with non-straight chain hydrocarbons by means of a bed of a 5A molecular sieve comprising:
- i. an adsorption stage in which the feed mixture is passed into the bed under conditions of increasing pressure and an effluent produced from which the n-paraffins have been at least partly removed, and
- ii. a desorption stage in which the n-paraffins are desorbed from the bed by pressure reduction wherein the feed is stopped to the adsorption stage when at least 50% of the breakthrough volume has been passed and then a mixture richer in n-paraffins than the feed is passed through the bed, while the pressure is still rising.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.