Separation process

摘要

Clathrate compounds are formed between hydrocarbons and Dianin-type compounds of the formula in which X is O, S or NR where R is hydrogen or a substituent group and R1-R14 are hydrogen atoms or substituent groups, at least one containing a hydrogen atom capable of forming a hydrogen bond; preferably one of R10-R12 is amino or hydroxyl. The clathrate is formed selectively with certain hydrocarbons in mixtures thereof and may be formed by dissolving the Dianin-type compound in hot liquid hydrocarbon mixture or by heating in the mixture and cooling to crystallize, extracting the compound by refluxing the mixture and percolating the condensate over the compound, the clathrate crystallizing in the heated vessel or, if the mixture is vaporous, passing it through liquid compound and allowing it to solidify forming the clathrate. The clathrate is separated by filtration or vaporizing non-clathrated materials and is decomposed by heating or dissolving in aqueous alkali, toluene, xylene, pyridine, acetone, ethanol or ethyl acetate.ALSO:Hydrocarbons are separated from each other by selective formation of clathrate compounds with Dianin-type compounds of the formula in which X is O, S or NR, where R is hydrogen or a substituent group and R1-R14 are hydrogen atoms or substituent groups, at least one containing a hydrogen atom capable of forming a hydrogen bond; preferably one of R10-R12 is amino or hydroxyl. The clathrate may be formed by dissolving the Dianin-type compound in hot liquid mixture or by heating in the mixture and cooling to crystallize, extracting the compound by refluxing the mixture and percolating the condensate over the compound, the clathrate crystallizing in the heated vessel or, if the mixture is vaporous, passing it through liquid compound and allowing it to solidify, forming the clathrate. The clathrate is separated by filtration or vaporizing non-clathrated materials and is decomposed by heating or dissolving in aqueous alkali, toluene, xylene, pyridine, acetone, ethanol or ethyl acetate, and recovering the hydrocarbon by distillation if necessary. Separation may be effected between molecules of different size and/or shape; clathrates are generally formed readily with compounds containing up to 10 carbon atoms in the molecule. Separation may, for example, be effected between less and more highly branched hydrocarbon, paraffins and naphthenes, paraffins and aromatics, aromatics and naphthenes and between different naphthenes or different aromatics (the first mentioned of each pair selectively forming the clathrate).