Patent ID: 9199896
Filing Date: 2015-12-01
Classification: C07C,C10G

Abstract:
1. A method of producing toluene, the method comprising the steps of: reforming a feed naphtha stream in a naphtha reforming unit to produce a reformed naphtha stream containing aromatics including benzene, toluene, and olefins separating the reformed naphtha stream in an extraction unit with an extraction solvent selected from the group consisting of tetrahydrothiophene 1,1 dioxide (sulfolane), N-methyl pyrrolidone (NMP), N-formyl morpholine (NFM), and ethylene glycols, into an aromatic stream and a non-aromatic stream, wherein the aromatic stream primarily comprises toluene, benzene and olefins; alkylating aromatics with olefins in the aromatic stream to produce an alkylation stream containing colored bodies; distilling the alkylation stream to produce an overhead stream and a reboiler stream, wherein the reboiler stream comprises toluene and colored bodies; and removing the colored bodies from the reboiler stream by passing the reboiler stream through an absorbent bed containing absorbents selected from the group consisting of zeolite, alumina, silica gel, activated clay, activated carbon, or a combination thereof, wherein the absorbent selectively absorbs colored bodies over toluene to produce a stream comprising toluene and essentially free of colored bodies.