Removal of aromatic hydrocarbons from hydrocarbon mixture using glycols at 303.15 K and 333.15 K and atmospheric pressure: Experimental and calculated data by NRTL and UNIQUAC models

• Liquid–liquid equilibrium data for decane + toluene + glycols systems.
• Influence of temperature in the solubility of the components.
• Selectivity parameters of the glycols for toluene extraction’s.

Aromatic hydrocarbons are usually extracted from reformed naphtha, which are multicomponent mixtures with aliphatic hydrocarbons. These components have very close boiling point, which makes distillation process not so efficient and economically infeasible. For this reason, aromatics compounds are usually separated from aliphatic compounds by intermediate of solvent extraction unit operation. In this work, liquid–liquid equilibrium (LLE) data for systems containing decane + toluene + diethylene glycol (DEG) and decane + toluene + triethylene glycol (TEG) at T = (303.15 and 333.15) K and atmospheric pressure were studied. It was observed that temperature hardly influence the size of the two-phase region. Distribution coefficient and selectivity have been calculated from those experimental data. For all systems studied, selectivity parameter showed values greater than 1 indicating that the extraction is possible by using DEG and TEG as extractor solvents. Additionally, selectivity values ​​increase with increasing glycol carbon chain. LLE have been correlated by intermediate of NRTL and UNIQUAC activity coefficients.

Liquid–liquid equilibrium data for decane + toluene + diethylene glycol (■) and decane + toluene + triethylene glycol (□) at 303.15 K.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide