Ionic liquids and their use in extraction processes

摘要

There is provided a process for the extraction of at least one aromatic compound from a mixture with at least one aliphatic hydrocarbon, which process comprises contacting said mixture with a salt that is in a liquid state at a temperature below 150°C, said salt having a cation which comprises an aromatic nitrogen-containing heterocyclic ring system, in which a nitrogen atom forming part of said ring system is quaternised and in which said ring system is substituted by at least one electron-withdrawing substituent. Some of said salts are novel.