US 12,214,304 B2
Separating hydrocarbons with dihydrolevoglucosenone or a derivative of dihydrolevoglucosenone as a solvent
Thomas Brouwer, Enschede (NL); and Boelo Schuur, Enschede (NL)
Assigned to SHELL USA, INC., Houston, TX (US)
Appl. No. 17/913,494
Filed by SHELL USA, INC., Houston, TX (US)
PCT Filed Apr. 19, 2021, PCT No. PCT/EP2021/060059
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 22, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/213968, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 28, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 20171367 (EP), filed on Apr. 24, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0201741 A1, Jun. 29, 2023
Int. Cl. B01D 3/40 (2006.01); C07C 7/08 (2006.01); C10G 21/16 (2006.01)
CPC B01D 3/40 (2013.01) [C07C 7/08 (2013.01); C10G 21/16 (2013.01)] 3 Claims
 
1. Process for separating unsaturated hydrocarbons from a mixture of saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons, which process comprises the steps of
(a) contacting the mixture with a solvent;
(b) allowing to form two phases in equilibrium, a first phase comprising solvent and unsaturated hydrocarbons and a second phase comprising the remainder of the mixture;
(c) removing the phases separately; and
(d) removing (i) unsaturated hydrocarbons from the first phase, (ii) saturated hydrocarbons from the second phase, or (iii) unsaturated hydrocarbons from the first phase and saturated hydrocarbons from the second phase, to obtain at least one product stream and regenerated solvent for use in step (a),
wherein the solvent comprises dihydrolevoglucosenone.