9  5,648,520  10  In  the extraction stage ( 4) which is preferably operated in  multi-stage manner, the organic phase (B) and the mixture of  starting polyamine mixture (A) and aqueous phase (C) are  guided towards one another with intimate intermixing.  In  this procedure, there generally takes place a partial transfer  In  the extraction stage (  4)  which is operated preferably in  multi-stage manner, the stream (C) on which (A) impinges  and the organic phase (B) are guided towards one another  with intimate intermixing.  The aqueous phase ( C) supplied to the extraction stage (  4)  of the process according to the invention generally has a  molarity of up to 6, preferably between 0.5 and 4.0.  The molarity of the stream ( C), which is well-defined and  is dimensioned and controlled within narrow limits for the  respective embodiment of the process according to the  invention, is varied in a targeted way within a broad range  depending on the separation task which forms the basis for  the embodiment in each case-in this instance product› related.  The aromatic amine content of the organic phase (B) is  generally 25--60%, depending on the separation task.  Optionally, in a less generally applicable embodiment, the  total volume of streams (E) and  (F)  is added to the stream (J)  and is first used as the extraction agent in extraction stage  (5)  such that stream (B) is formed exclusively from a part  volume of stream (L) leaving the extraction stage  (5).  Optionally, according to a less generally applicable form  of use, the feeding of hydrophobic solvent and auxiliary  amine from other sources may be dispensed with completely  when forming stream (B), such that the organic phase (B)  comprises exclusively a part volume of (L). This embodi› ment of the process according to the invention is particularly  advantageous in terms of separation efficiency and energy  balance and is hence particularly preferred when it can be  applied.  The degree of protonation in (C) is generally from 40 to  100%, it is preferably around 60 to 100% for the aniline  preferably used as the auxiliary amine.  It  is particularly preferred to add at least part of the said  partial stream of (E) already to the organic phase  (P) which  is used as the extraction agent in the extraction stage (  6)  and  to the extraction stage  (5)  as part of the resulting organic  phase (R), and subsequently to stream (B) as a part volume  of (L).  The stream (C) generally comprises water, a strong proton  acid, auxiliary amine and optionally polyamine. The acid is  present in the form of its salts dissolved in water, with  auxiliary amine and optionally with polyamine.  In  (C) the  sum of the amino groups of the auxiliary amine and option› ally the polyamine is at all times present in a stoichiometric  ratio or in excess, calculated on the acid.  According to a variant of the process according to the  invention, the starting polyamine mixture (A) is fed from the  supply tank  (1)  by mixing with the partial stream  (C)  and  introducing the mixture into the extraction stage (  4).  It  is advantageous and preferred to incorporate first into  the stream (J) which is used as the extraction agent in stage  (5)  at least part of the said stream (E) and optionally a  corresponding volume of (S) and, after passage through the  extraction stage (5), to remove from the resulting organic  phase  (L) and add to stream  (B)  a partial stream of  (L)  which  is equivalent to a partial stream of (E) which is added by  reference to the hydrophobic "solvent" content  This operational range has a practical upper limit, on the  one hand as a result of the increasing tendency of the amine  salts to crystallize as concentration increases, in particular in  the case of high degrees of protonation, and on the other, as  a result of the increasing mutual solubility of the phases in  one another, in particular at low degrees of protonation.  In  the simplest case, the stream (B) is formed from the  stream (E) liberated from polyamine (G) and to a large  extent impoverished as to auxiliary amine, which is obtained  as the distillate in stage  (7.1),  optionally with the addition of  a part volume of stream (S), comprising substantially aux› iliary amine impoverished as to hydrophobic solvent and  liberated from polyamine.  Even within one embodiment of the process according to  the invention it is optionally advantageous to operate the  individual process stages through which the aqueous phase  passes, in particular the extraction stages  (2)  to  (6),  with  differing molarity in the aqueous phase, by removing water  from or supplying water to the aqueous phase between the  individual stages.  The molarity thus defined can assume values of up to  6  and, depending on the separation task which forms the basis  for the embodiment in each case-in this instance, product› related-is varied in targeted manner within this range.  As a result of the, preferred, use of a polyamine having the  composition of the second part product  (0)  as a constituent  of the organic phase (B), the relative enrichment of the  polyamine components preferably contained in the aqueous  phase  (H) leaving the separation phase ( 4), and hence of the  second polyamine fraction  (0), can  also be varied and  maximized at a higher and hence advantageous concentra› tion level as a result of an equilibrium becoming established,  with the separation effect being self-reinforcing.  The effect of polyamine as a constituent of the organic  phase  (B) is that the phases  (D)  and  (H)  leaving the process  stage  (4)  exhibit a higher polyamine concentration, which is  hence more advantageous in energy terms for carrying out  the process according to the invention, than is the case when  an organic phase  (B) without polyamine is used.  It  has proved to be expedient to define the acid content of  the aqueous phase, independently of the differing amine  content which adjusts in the aqueous phase of a two-phase  system, by way of what is known as a "molarity". The  molarity is fixed as the theoretical concentration of amine  which is 100% protonated (that is to say equal numbers of  acid and amine equivalents) in a volume of aqueous phase,  which is reduced by the proportion of non-protonated amine,  in accordance with the formula:  When using an organic phase (B) without polyamine,  there results in the aqueous phase  (H)  leaving the extraction  stage (4) a polyamine fraction in which the relative enrich› ment of the components preferably contained in this phase  can be increased and maximized in targeted manner at the  expense of the polyamine concentration in the aqueous  phase  (H).  The organic phase (B) generally comprises, in addition to  hydrophobic solvent, auxiliary amine and/or polyamine, the  latter preferably having the composition of the second  process part product (0).  Virtually quantitative circulation of the acid used enables  costly acids such as, for example, methanesulphonic acid to  be used, which in turn, having a lesser corrosive tendency,  enable less costly materials to be used in the apparatus of the  process according to the invention.  recycled without difficulty in the form of stream (Y) or  partial streams thereof, optionally a distillate part volume of  (X) can be guided past the washing stages to (Y) and used  in order to select a different water content in the individual  extraction stages.  "M I •1y•  _  Mol 100%-protonated amine  $^{0 }$an  - Vol. aqueous phase -vol. non-protonated amine 