Patent ID: 8802914
Filing Date: 2014-08-12
Classification: B01D,C07C

Abstract:
1. A process for separating para-xylene from a plurality of xylene isomers, the process comprising: introducing at a first feed point a first mixed xylene stream comprising a plurality of xylene isomers into a first adsorptive separation unit to produce a first para-xylene enriched stream and a first raffinate stream; introducing a second mixed xylene stream comprising a plurality of xylene isomers into a second adsorptive separation unit to produce a second raffinate stream; feeding both said first raffinate stream and said second raffinate stream into a raffinate column; producing by said raffinate column a C8 raffinate stream; introducing the C8 raffinate stream into an isomerization unit to produce said second mixed xylene stream, and a drag stream in fluid communication with an aromatic conversion unit; generating a mixture of aromatic compounds by said aromatic conversion unit; introducing an extract stream from said second adsorptive separation unit into first input of a split extract column comprising an internal partition defining a first distillation zone and a second distillation zone, said split extract column comprising said first input for said first distillation zone, a second input for said second distillation zone, a first output for said first distillation zone, a second output for said second distillation zone; and introducing said mixture of aromatic compounds in said second input of said split extract column.