Toray Industries, Inc.

Yukiko Nagaoka

Kishio Miwa

Takehisa Inoue

Kuniyuki Tada

Takehise Inoue

A specific isomer of a trisubstituted benzene is continuously separated from a mixture containing at least two isomers of the trisubstituted benzene by adsorptive separation using a simulated moving bed, wherein a faujasite type zeolite adsorbent is used as the adsorpent and the specific isomer is separated as the extract component in the presence of a substituted benzene compound. The specific isomer to be separated is, for example, 2,6-dichlorotoluene, 3,5-dichlorotoluene and 2-chloro-m-xylene. The substituted benzene compound is preferably a compound represented by the formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 is H or CH.sub.3, R.sup.2 is H, CH.sub.3 or Cl and R.sup.3 is CH.sub.3 or Cl, with the proviso that the case where R.sup.1 is CH.sub.3, R.sup.2 is Cl and R.sup.3 is Cl is excluded.

Adsorptive separation process

A substituted benzene isomer mixture containing a meta-substituted benzene or 1,3,5-substituted benzene is contacted with an adsorbent of a faujasite type zeolite containing a Ag cation and/or a Cu cation, whereby the meta-substituted benzene or 1,3,5-substituted benzene is separated and recovered as a raffinate component.

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Kamakura, Japan

Yukiko Nagaoka