Uop Lcc

David W Liu

Jason T Corradi

David W Ablin

Stanley Joseph Frey

Terry L Marker

Charles P Luebke

Richard S Kempf

The xylene isomerization process unit and the transalkylation process units are combined in the present invention. A fractionation column can be shared by the two units, reducing the capital cost of the complex. In some embodiments, a split shell fractionation column and a split separator can be used.

Combined xylene isomerization and transalkylation process unit

Meta-xylene is recovered from admixture with other Caromatic hydrocarbons including ortho-xylene by liquid phase adsorptive separation. Performance is improved by reducing the concentration of ortho-xylene through adding a sidecut to a prefractionator preparing the feedstock to adsorptive separation.

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In a process for the production of tertiary ethers by the reaction of an alcohol and isoalkene, a sidecut stream is selected from the etherification separation zone and recycled back to the etherification reaction zone. When this sidecut stream is characterized by an isoalkene to tertiary ether molar concentration ratio that is greater than the isoalkene to tertiary ether molar concentration ratio of the etherification reaction effluent (which is normally at equilibrium conditions), the conversion of isoalkene to tertiary ether is increased.

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Palatine, IL, United States of America

David W Liu