Abstract:
A dry liquid propane substantially free from HF, organic fluorides and water is produced by bringing into intimate contact with a sodium hydroxide solution containing not more than about 5 percent by weight NaOH a liquid propane stream obtained by heating a stream of the propane containing organic fluoride and bringing said stream in contact with a defluorinating agent, e. g. , aluminum fluoride, to produce a stream of propane containing HF, the stream of propane containing organic fluorides having been obtained from a hydrogen fluoride stripper operated in conjunction with a depropanizing zone wherein an HF alkylation hydrocarbon product stream or effluent is depropanized. In an embodiment only a relatively small volume of propane containing HF is contacted with the aqueous sodium hydroxide solution whereupon the intermingled fluids are immediately passed into a body of settling propane and aqueous sodium hydroxide solution in a settling zone or vessel.