Patent ID: 9611196
Date: 2017-04-04
CPC Classifications: B01D,C07C

Claim:
1. A process for obtaining food grade hexane, comprising: fractionating a hydrocarbon feed having a boiling point in the range of 50° C. to 140° C. to obtain a hydrocarbon fraction having boiling point in the range of 63° C. to 69° C. and having 3%-15% (wt/wt) of aromatic compounds content; extracting the hydrocarbon fraction by counter current solvent extraction using sulfolane as a solvent to obtain a first raffinate phase; extracting the first raffinate phase by co-current solvent extraction using sulfolane as a solvent to obtain a second raffinate phase; and washing the second raffinate phase with water to obtain a food grade hexane containing less than 100 ppm weight of aromatic compounds.