1172.    GEISELER.  Separation of Alcohols From Their Mixtures With Hydrocarbons.  Scientific Contrib. 11, Laboratory, Merseburg Ammonia Plant, April 1943; Office Publication Board Rept., PB 870, 2 pp.

        Following the work of H. P. Kaufmann on the separation of fatty acids by adsorption on silica gel, attempts were made to separate the mixture of alcohols and hydrocarbons arising from the Fischer-Tropsch medium-pressure synthesis.  The method has for a basis the difference in the heats of wetting of alcohols and hydrocarbons.  The process is covered by German Patent Applications I 72,811, IVd/12o, O.Z. 13570, and I 73,795, IV-d/12o, O.Z. 13,831.  the alcohol-hydrocarbon mixture is mixed thoroughly with the active gel, which is then washed with a low-boiling hydrocarbon (petroleum ether, benzine, ligroin, benzol) to remove the adsorbed hydrocarbon, leaving the alcohol adsorbed on the gel.  The alcohol is then recovered by being displaced by a highly polar liquid such as MeOH, EtOH, acetone, diethylether, etc., which likewise preferably remains attached to the gel.  The gel is then regenerated by being treated with an excess (1:1,000) of hot gas (N₂, CO₂) at 150°.  The process works best at room temperature and with a highly porous granular gel of 0.5-1 mm. size.  The adsorption of the gel for alcohols embraces the whole range from C₁ to C₂₀ and higher and becomes somewhat selective as the chains lengthen.