The invention relates to a process for purifying hydrocarbon mixtures, in which a contaminated hydrocarbon mixture comprising olefins having three to eight carbon atoms is at least partly freed of sulphur-containing contaminants by contacting it with a solid sorbent, the hydrocarbon mixture being exclusively in the liquid state during the contact with the sorbent. The problem that it addressed was that of virtually completely removing sulphur compounds present in the mixture without forming new sulphur compounds again at the same time. At the same time, 1-butene present therein was not to be lost in the purification of the mixture. Finally, the sorbent used was to have a high sorption capacity, be very substantially free of carcinogenic constituents and be readily available. This problem is solved by using a sorbent based on copper oxide, zinc oxide and aluminium oxide in a particular composition, and by conducting the purification in the presence of a small amount of hydrogen.
