3797. ----- [VAN DER WAALS, J. H.] (N. V. de Bataafsche Petroleum Maatschappij.). [Separation of Oxygen-Containing Derivatives of Hydrocarbons.] Netherlands Patent 69,921, May 15, 1952. Chem. Abs., vol. 47, 1953, p. 1726.

Mixtures of O-containing compounds, which are insoluble or practically insoluble in H₂O, obtained in the manufacture of synthetic hydrocarbons (especially those formed in the Fischer-Tropsch or Oxo process), are separated into 2 fractions containing respective compounds with a more or less pronounced polar character by subjecting them to treatment with 2 solvents flowing countercurrent to each other, one being a groups (I) or 1 polar group and a highly polarizable remainder (II), and the other a liquid that consists entirely or substantially of 1 or more paraffinic hydrocarbons with a boiling range outside the boiling limits of the starting mixture (III). It is advantageous to subject mixtures boiling within a range of not more than 40° to the extraction process. Representatives of (I) are polyalcohols and polyalcoholic ethers, for example, glycols or glycol ethers, furfural, alkanolamines, hydroxy nitro compounds, and chlorohydrins, and of (II) PhNO₂, PhOH, cresols, phenyl glycide ether, sulpholenes, and substitution products thereof. Those with b. p. higher than those of the compounds to e separated are preferred. As (III), there may be used kerosene fractions poor in aromatics. In an example, a fraction (1 vol.) containing 60% alcohols and 40% aldehydes (b. 140°-160°), separated by distillation from a reaction mixture obtained in the oxo process starting from CO, H₂, and C₆-C₇olefins, was fed to the 3d stage of a 7-stage extraction apparatus; O(CH₂CH₂OH)₂(IV) (7 vol.) was fed to the 1^st and a naphtha free of aromatics (V) (12 vol.), b. 90°-100°, to the 7^th stage,. After extraction, phase (IV) contained 96.2% alcohols and 3.8% aldehydes and phase (V) only aldehydes.