A PROCESS FOR SEPARATING AROMATICS AND REMOVAL OF SULPHUR COMPOUNDS FROM HRART CUT OF CATALYTICALLY CRACKED GASOLINE

摘要

The present invention provide an improved extractive distillation (ED) process wherein a hydrocarbon feed containing a mixture of aromatics, olefinic, diolefinic and other non¬aromatic hydrocarbons along with impurities like chloride and oxygenates i.e. stream of catalytically cracked gasoline is contacted with an aromatics selective solvent mixture comprising NMP based solvent in admixture with additives as extraction solvent in an ED column to produce an aromatics rich bottom (extract hydrocarbons) and an aromatics lean raffinate hydrocarbons with ultra low sulfur gasoline (ULSG). The solvent mixture is added to the top of the ED column and the feed mixture is added at a point on the ED column that is lower than the point where the solvent mixture is added. Extractive distillation is performed, and the aromatic and non-aromatic hydrocarbons are separated. Accordingly in the present invention the di- olefins present in the said feedstock i.e. catalytically cracked gasoline plays a very important role and leads to gum formation with most of the solvents except the solvent mentioned in the present invention.