| abstract |
The present invention is a process for purifying a liquid stream comprising an aqueous phase and optionally an organic phase, said aqueous phase comprising polyaromatics in solution in water, wherein, a) said liquid stream is sent to a mixing tank in which is introduced an effective amount of an aromatic component, advantageously ethylbenzene or benzene or toluene or mixture thereof to produce a mixture of an organic phase and of an aqueous phase, b) then said mixture recovered at step a) is sent to a decanter to recover a clean aqueous phase and an organic phase, c) then the clean aqueous phase leaving the decanter of step b) goes through a stripper to remove a substantial part of any remaining organic component. According to a specific embodiment the stream sent to step a) is the whole or a fraction of the aqueous phase recovered by condensation of the effluent gas leaving an ethylbenzene dehydrogenation reactor. |