Abstract: The lean sulfolane resulted from liquid-liquid extraction and extract-distillation process must be purified for recycling. The purification efficiencies of lean solvent sulfolane by macroporous weak basic anion-exchange resin were investigated for both cases in this paper. After purification, gum and chloride ion in lean solvent are removed, the pH value of the solvent is above 6.0 and the acid value decreases. In the case of liquid-liquid extraction 85.5% of gum and 79.94% of chloride ion can be removed due to lower colloid content in solvent. However, only 28.7%—32.6% of gum and 54.98%-59.95% of chloride ions can be removed, respectively, because of higher gum content in extract-distillation lean solvent. It can be concluded that higher gum content has inversely influence on the purification efficiency of lean solvent sulfolane in extract-distillation case.