The aim of this work is to determine if the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ethylsulfate is a good solvent for the separation of xylenes and hexane by liquid extraction. With this purpose, liquid-liquid equilibrium (LLE) data for the ternary systems {hexane + o-xylene, or m-xylene, or p-xylene + 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ethylsulfate} were determined at T = 298.15 K and atmospheric pressure. Selectivity and solute distribution ratio, derived from the experimental equilibrium data, were calculated and used to determine if this ionic liquid can be used as a potential solvent for the extraction of xylenes from their mixtures with hexane. The experimental LLE data for the ternary systems were correlated using the NRTL and UNIQUAC models. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.