Separation of high molecular weight hydrocarbons with molecular sieves

Claim 1

THE METHOD FOR SEPARATING HIGH MOLECULAR WEIGHT STRAIGHT CHAIN HYDROCARBONS FRAOM A MIXTURE OF THE SAME WITH NON-STRAIGHT CHAIN ORGANIC COMPOUNDS WHICH COMPRISES CONTACTING SUCH MIXTURE CONTAINING STRAIGHT CHAIN HYDROCARBONS HAVING AT LEAST 13 CARBON ATOMS IN THE MOLECULE WITH A MOLECULAR SIEVE ADSORBENT IN AN AMOUNT INSUFFICIENT TO SATURATE THE ADSORPTIVE CAPACITY OF THE ADSORBENT FOR THE STRAIGHT CHAIN HYDROCARBONS, ELUTING THE MOLECULAR SIEVE ADSORBENT WITH A BRANCHED CHAIN PARAFFIN ELUANT LIQUID TO REMOVE UNADSORBENT COMPONENTS OF THE MIXTURE FROM THE ADSORBENT, SAID BRACHED CHAIN PARAFFIN ELUANT LIQUID HAVING A BOILING POINT LOWER THAN THE BOILING POINT OF THE UNADSORBED COMPONENTS OF THE CHARGE MIXTURAE, THEREAFTER ELUTING THE ADSORBENT WITH A STRAIGHT CHAIN HYDROCARABON ELUANT LIQUID TO REMOVE ADSORBED STRAIGHT CHAIN HYDROCARABONS FROM THE ADSORBENT, THEREBY RECOVERING SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE STRAIGHT CHAIN HYDROCARBON COMPONENTS OF THE MIXTURE SEPARATELY FROM THE NON-STRAIGHT CHAIN COMPONENTS OF THE MIXURE, THE CONTACTING OF THE ADSORBENT WITH THE MIXTURE AND WITH THE ELUANT LIQUIDS BEING CARRIED OUT AT A TEMPERATURE SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW THE TEMPERATURE OF DECOMPOSITION OF SAID HIGH MOLECULAT WEIGHT STRAIGHT CHAIN HYDROCARBONS WHEN IN CONTACT WITH THE MOLECULAR SIEVE ADSORBENT.

Claim 2

THE METHOD FOR SEPARATING HIGH MOLECULAR WEIGHT STRAIGHT CHAIN HYDROCARBONS FRAOM A MIXTURE OF THE SAME WITH NON-STRAIGHT CHAIN ORGANIC COMPOUNDS WHICH COMPRISES CONTACTING SUCH MIXTURE CONTAINING STRAIGHT CHAIN HYDROCARBONS HAVING AT LEAST 13 CARBON ATOMS IN THE MOLECULE WITH A MOLECULAR SIEVE ADSORBENT IN AN AMOUNT INSUFFICIENT TO SATURATE THE ADSORPTIVE CAPACITY OF THE ADSORBENT FOR THE STRAIGHT CHAIN HYDROCARBONS, ELUTING THE MOLECULAR SIEVE ADSORBENT WITH A BRANCHED CHAIN PARAFFIN ELUANT LIQUID TO REMOVE UNADSORBENT COMPONENTS OF THE MIXTURE FROM THE ADSORBENT, SAID BRACHED CHAIN PARAFFIN ELUANT LIQUID HAVING A BOILING POINT LOWER THAN THE BOILING POINT OF THE UNADSORBED COMPONENTS OF THE CHARGE MIXTURAE, THEREAFTER ELUTING THE ADSORBENT WITH A STRAIGHT CHAIN HYDROCARABON ELUANT LIQUID TO REMOVE ADSORBED STRAIGHT CHAIN HYDROCARABONS FROM THE ADSORBENT, THEREBY RECOVERING SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE STRAIGHT CHAIN HYDROCARBON COMPONENTS OF THE MIXTURE SEPARATELY FROM THE NON-STRAIGHT CHAIN COMPONENTS OF THE MIXURE, THE CONTACTING OF THE ADSORBENT WITH THE MIXTURE AND WITH THE ELUANT LIQUIDS BEING CARRIED OUT AT A TEMPERATURE SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW THE TEMPERATURE OF DECOMPOSITION OF SAID HIGH MOLECULAT WEIGHT STRAIGHT CHAIN HYDROCARBONS WHEN IN CONTACT WITH THE MOLECULAR SIEVE ADSORBENT.