Abstract: A process for upgrading hydrocarbonaceous oil containing heteroatom-containing compounds where the hydrocarbonaceous oil is contacted with a solvent system that is a mixture of a major portion of a polar solvent having a dipole moment greater than about 1 debye and a minor portion of water to selectively separate the constituents of the carbonaceous oil into a heteroatom-depleted raffinate fraction and heteroatom-enriched extract fraction. The polar solvent and the water-in-solvent system are formulated at a ratio where the water is an antisolvent in an amount to inhibit solubility of heteroatom-containing compounds and the polar solvent in the raffinate, and to inhibit solubility of non-heteroatom-containing compounds in the extract. The ratio of the hydrocarbonaceous oil to the solvent system is such that a coefficient of separation is at least 50%.

Abstract: A hydrocarbon-containing feed, e.g. naphtha, is converted in a treatment plant (1), in particular a refinery or olefin plant, into desired olefins, e.g. ethylene and propylene. At least part of the fractions comprising relatively long-chain olefins, in particular olefins having at least four carbon atoms, obtained from the treatment plant (1) is passed to an olefin conversion stage (12) In the olefin conversion stage (12), for example, a catalytic reactor, in particular a fixed-bed reactor, at least part of the relatively long-chain olefins is converted into relatively shorter-chain olefins. Reaction products are fed together with any unreacted hydrocarbons to a conversion product fractionation stage (17) in which the desired olefins, in particular ethylene and propylene, are separated off. To increase the yield of the desired olefins, a paraffin/olefin separation stage (23) is installed downstream of the conversion product fractionation stage (17).

Abstract: An improved process for the recovery of aromatic compounds from a mixture containing aromatic and non-aromatic compounds and method for retrofitting existing equipment for the same is provided. The improved process comprises the steps of recovering aromatic compounds via parallel operation of a hybrid extractive distillation/liquid-liquid extractor operation and variations thereof. Methods of quickly and economically retrofitting existing recovery process equipment for use with the improved aromatics recovery process are also disclosed.

Abstract: A process for separating polar and non-polar constituents from coal tar distillates, comprising passing the distillates over a separation column together with an eluting agent. According to the invention the process comprises mixing a tar oil distillate with a non-polar solvent, passing this mixture over a separation column which contains a stationary phase and eluting with a non-polar solvent, the eluting agent being collected together with the substances dissolved therein, followed by eluting with a more polar eluting agent or with a plurality of eluting agents of increasing polarity, and separately collecting the more polar eluting agent or the plurality of eluting agents of increasing polarity, together with the substances dissolved therein, followed by isolating the substances dissolved in the non-polar and in the polar solvents, respectively, utilizing known techniques.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for the removal of basic heterocyclic nitrogen compounds from a petroleum crude oil or fraction thereof which comprises treating, the petroleum crude oil in a distillation zone to form a distillation bottoms stream which is rich in basic heterocyclic nitrogen compounds. This stream is passed without cooling or heat removal to a two-phase extraction zone with an extractant consisting essentially of an aqueous solution of a lower carboxylic acid and preferably having from 1 to 15 carbon atoms. The extractant complexes the basic heterocyclic nitrogen compound to produce a stream of petroleum crude oil or fraction thereof having a smaller content of heterocyclic nitrogen compounds and a stream comprising the lower carboxylic acid extractant with an increased quantity of basic heterocyclic nitrogen compounds. Both of these streams are passed to distillation without heating.

Abstract: A process for the liquid/liquid extraction of aromatic hydrocarbons from organic solvent mixtures containing aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons by the use of certain ethers and esters as extractants is disclosed.