Patent ID: 6483003
Filing Date: 2002-11-19
Classification: C10G

Abstract:
A process for purifying an impure liquid hydrocarbon feedstock, which process includesmixing, in a liquid-liquid extraction step, a Fischer-Tropsch derived impure liquid hydrocarbon feedstock comprising a liquid hydrocarbon component or fraction containing at least one impurity selected from a carboxylic acid, an oxygenate, a phenol, an aromatic compound and a cyclic compound, with a solvent comprising acetonitrile, thereby to extract the impurity, or at least one of the impurities, from the hydrocarbon component or fraction into the solvent; withdrawing from the extraction step; as a raffinate, purified hydrocarbon component or fraction together with some solvent; withdrawing from the extraction step, as an extract, impurity containing solvent; in a raffinate stripping step, separating solvent from the raffinate in a raffinate stripper column; adding water to the raffinate stripper column below the raffinate entry point; withdrawing solvent from the top of the raffinate stripper column; withdrawing a bottoms product comprising water and purified hydrocarbon component or fraction from the raffinate stripper column; in a phase separation step, separating the bottoms product into an aqueous phase and purified hydrocarbon component or raffinate.