Patent ID: 7288692

Claim:
A process for producing olefins comprising: (a) providing a vapor product stream from an oxygenate to olefin conversion reaction comprising C 2 to C 4 olefins, C 5 + hydrocarbons, at least one oxygenate and water; (b) cooling the vapor product stream to remove water therefrom and produce a first vapor effluent stream; (c) compressing and cooling the first vapor effluent stream to produce a condensed liquid effluent stream comprising C 5 + hydrocarbons and at least one oxygenate, and a residual vapor effluent stream comprising C 2 to C 4 olefins; and (d) contacting at least a portion of the condensed liquid effluent steam with a liquid water-containing stream in a liquid-liquid contacting device to at least partly separate said condensed liquid effluent stream, or portion thereof, into an aqueous phase rich in said at least one oxygenate and an organic phase rich in said C 5 + hydrocarbons.