Patent ID: 9302955
Filing Date: 2016-04-05
CPC Classification: B01D,C07C

Claim Text:
1. A method for separating a selected xylene isomer comprising the steps of: separating a feed stream comprising a plurality of aromatic hydrocarbons into a first stream comprising toluene and isomers of xylene, and a second stream comprising isomers of xylene; separating, in a first zone of a multi-zone separation apparatus, the first stream into a third stream comprising toluene and a fourth stream comprising isomers of xylene; combining the second stream and the third stream in an adsorptive separation unit comprising an adsorbent configured to adsorb the selected xylene isomer from the second stream, wherein the third stream desorbs the selected xylene isomer from the adsorbent to produce a fifth stream comprising the selected xylene isomer and toluene and a sixth stream comprising non-selected xylene isomers and toluene; and separating, in a second zone of the multi-zone separation apparatus, the sixth stream into a seventh stream comprising the non-selected xylene isomers and the third stream comprising toluene.