Patent ID: 7687674
Filing Date: 2010-03-30
Classification: C07C,Y02P,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A process for producing para-xylene from a feed stream comprising a mixture of C 8 aromatic isomers and heavies, the method comprising: a) introducing a feed stream to a xylene fractionation zone to produce a xylenes enriched stream; b) cooling the xylenes enriched stream by transferring heat from the xylenes enriched stream to one or more of a first raffinate stream and an isomerization reactor product stream; c) introducing the xylenes enriched stream and a desorbent stream to a para-xylene separation zone and producing a first para-xylene enriched stream and the first raffinate stream from the xylenes enriched stream and desorbent stream; d) heating the first para-xylene enriched stream by transferring heat from the desorbent stream to the first para-xylene enriched stream and feeding the heated first para-xylene enriched stream into a distillation zone to produce a second para-xylene enriched stream and part of the desorbent stream; e) introducing the first raffinate stream to a raffinate column to produce another part of the desorbent stream and a second raffinate stream; f) heating the second raffinate stream by transferring heat from the isomerization reactor product stream to the second raffinate stream and feeding the heated second raffinate stream into an isomerization zone that converts the second raffinate stream to the isomerization reactor product stream; g) heating at least a portion of the isomerization reactor product stream by transferring heat from one or more of a para-xylene product stream, the xylenes enriched stream and the desorbent stream, to the isomerization reactor product stream; h) heating the second para-xylene enriched stream by transferring heat from the para-xylene product stream to the second para-xylene enriched stream; i) feeding the second para-xylene enriched stream to a finishing column to produce the para-xylene product stream.