Exxonmobil Chemical Patents Inc.

Exxonmobil Chemicals Patents, Inc.

Dennis J Stanley

Michel Molinier

Robert G Tinger

Jeffrey L Andrews

George J Wagner

Jeevan Sahib Abichandani

Chunshe J Cao

Timothy Paul Bender

Xiaobo Zheng

Jerome Pigourier

Kevin J Knob

Thierry Leflour

Jacques Rault

Terri S Vander Pol

Stephane Claudel

Celia Fernandez

Isabelle Prevost

Isabell Prevost

In a process for producing para-xylene, at least one feed comprising Caromatic hydrocarbons is supplied to a dividing wall distillation column to separate the feed into a Caromatic hydrocarbon-containing stream, a Caromatic hydrocarbon-containing stream and a Caromatic hydrocarbon-containing stream. At least part of the Caromatic hydrocarbon-containing stream is then supplied to a para-xylene recovery unit to recover para-xylene from the Caromatic hydrocarbon-containing stream and produce a para-xylene depleted stream. The para-xylene depleted stream is contacted with a xylene isomerization catalyst in a xylene isomerization zone under conditions effective to isomerize xylenes in the para-xylene depleted stream and produce an isomerized stream, which is then at least partially recycled to the para-xylene recovery unit.

Aromatics production process

In a process for producing para-xylene, a feed stream comprising Caromatic hydrocarbons is separated into a toluene-containing stream, a Caromatic hydrocarbon-containing stream and a Caromatic hydrocarbon-containing stream. The toluene-containing stream is contacted with a methylating agent to convert toluene to xylenes and produce a methylated effluent stream. Para-xylene is recovered from the Caromatic hydrocarbon-containing stream and the methylated effluent stream in a para-xylene recovery section to produce a para-xylene depleted stream, which is then contacted with a xylene isomerization catalyst under liquid phase conditions effective to isomerize xylenes in the para-xylene depleted stream and produce an isomerized stream. The C-containing stream with a transalkylation catalyst under conditions effective to convert C-aromatics to C-aromatics and produce a transalkylated stream, which is recycled together with the isomerized stream to the para-xylene recovery section.

Apparatus for the production of xylenes

In a process for producing para-xylene, a toluene-containing stream is contacted with a methylating agent under conditions effective to convert toluene to xylenes and produce a methylated effluent stream. Para-xylene is recovered from the methylated effluent stream to produce a para-xylene depleted stream and part of the para-xylene depleted stream is contacted with a xylene isomerization catalyst under liquid phase isomerization conditions effective to produce a first isomerized stream, while part of the para-xylene depleted stream is contacted with a xylene isomerization catalyst under vapor phase isomerization conditions effective to produce a second isomerized stream. The first and second isomerized streams are then recycled to the para-xylene recovery step.

Process for the production of xylenes

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

Dennis J Stanley