Patent ID: 8609925
Filing Date: 2013-12-17
Classification: B01J,C07C

Abstract:
1. A simulated moving bed process for separating para-xylene from a mixture comprising at least one other C8 alkylaromatic hydrocarbon, the process comprising contacting, under adsorption conditions, the mixture with an adsorbent comprising zeolite X having an average crystallite size of between 1.4 and less than 1.8microns to adsorb para-xylene, present in an adsorbed phase, in preference to the at least one other C8 alkylaromatic hydrocarbon present in a non-adsorbed phase; flushing the non-adsorbed phase from contact with the adsorbent to produce a raffinate stream comprising the at least one other C8 alkylaromatic hydrocarbon; and desorbing para-xylene in the adsorbed phase from the adsorbent to produce an extract stream comprising para-xylene; wherein the process has a cycle time from about 18 minutes to about 26 minutes, and recovering at least about 95% of the para-xylene from the mixture.