Separation of eutectic-forming mixtures by crystallization

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR SEPARATING ONE HYDROCARBON FROM A LIQUID MIXTURE OF SAID ONE HYDROCARBON WITH ANOTHER HYDROCARBON, SAID ONE HYDROCARBON BEING PREFERENTIALLY ABSORBABLE FROM SAID MIXTURE, SAID HYDROCARBONS BEING MISCIBLE IN THE LIQUID STATE AND FORMING AN EUTECITIC MIXTURE IN THE SOLID STATE, SAID MIXTURE OF HYDROCARBONS CONTAINING SAID ONE HYDROCARBON IN A CONCENTRATION GREATER THAN ITS CONCENTRATION IN SAID EUTECTIC MIXTURE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, THE STEPS OF COOLING SAID MIXTURE TO A TEMPERATURE AT WHICH SAID ONE HYDROCARBON CRYSTALLIZES, BUT ABOVE THE TEMPERATURE AT WHICH SAID EUTECTIC MIXTURE CRYSTALLIZES, CONTACTING THE RESULTING MIXTURE OF LIQUID AND CRYSTALS WITH A SOLID ADSORBENT, SAID ONE HYDROCARBON BEING PREFERENTIALLY ADSORBED BY SAID ADSORBENT AND SAID ADSORBENT HAVING AN S-TYPE ADSORPTION CURVE, SEPARATING UNADSORBED LIQUID FROM THE ADSORBENT AND CRYSTALS, HEATING THE SOLID ADSORBENT WITH ITS CHARGE OF ADSORBED ONE HYDROCARBON AND CRYSTALS OF SAID ONE HYDROCARBON TO A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENTLY HIGH TO MELT THE CRYSTALS AND FORM A ZONE OF NEARLY PURE LIQUID ONE HYDROCARBON PASSING A PROTION OF THE MELTED ONE HYDROCARBON COUNTERCURRENTLY AND IN CONTACT WITH SAID SOLID ADSORBENT AND CRYSTALS TO REFLUX SAME, REMOVING THE OTHER PORTION OF THE MELTED ONE HUDROCARBON AS ONE PRODUCT OF THE PROCESS, REMOVING SOLID ADSORBENT