Patent ID: 9738576
Date: 2017-08-22
CPC Classifications: B01D,C07C,C10G

Claim:
1. A process for producing one or more xylenes and a C9+ gasoline blending stream in an aromatics complex, comprising: passing a first stream comprising xylenes and C9+ aromatics to a first side of a split shell fractionation column including a vertical baffle separating the first side from a second side, wherein the C9+ aromatics in the first stream have a first ratio of methyl- to phenyl-groups; passing a second stream comprising xylenes and C9+ aromatics to the second side of the split shell fractionation column, wherein the C9+ aromatics in the second stream have a second ratio of methyl- to phenyl-groups and wherein the first ratio is greater than the second ratio; separating a common overhead stream from the split shell fractionation column comprising xylenes; separating a first bottoms stream from the first side of the split shell fractionation column; and separating a second bottoms stream from the second side of the split shell fractionation column; passing at least a portion of the first bottoms stream as a feed to a transalkylation zone; and passing at least a portion of the second bottoms stream to a gasoline pool, wherein the at least the portion of the second bottoms stream comprises the C9+ gasoline blending stream.