Patent ID: 6479720
Filing Date: 2002-11-12
Classification: C07C

Abstract:
A process for the production of alkylaromatics, the process comprising:a) passing a feed stream comprising low-boiling hydrocarbons, heartcut hydrocarbons, and high-boiling hydrocarbons into a first lateral section of an intermediate portion of a fractionation column at fractionation conditions, and separating the entering compounds to provide an overhead stream comprising the low-boiling hydrocarbons, a sidedraw stream comprising the heartcut hydrocarbons, and a bottom stream comprising the high-boiling hydrocarbons, wherein the first lateral section is separated from a second lateral section of the fractionation column by a vertically oriented baffle extending upward from a lower portion of the fractionation column to an upper portion of the fractionation column; b) at least partially condensing the overhead stream to form a condensed stream comprising the low-boiling hydrocarbons, refluxing a portion of the condensed stream to the fractionation column, and recovering the low-boiling hydrocarbons from the overhead stream; c) introducing heat to the lower portion of the fractionation column, and withdrawing a bottom stream comprising the high-boiling hydrocarbons from the lower portion of the fractionation column, and recovering the high-boiling hydrocarbons from the bottom stream; d) withdrawing a sidedraw stream comprising the heartcut hydrocarbons from the second lateral section of the fractionation column, wherein the heartcut hydrocarbons comprise paraffinic hydrocarbons, and passing at least a portion of the sidedraw stream to a dehydrogenation zone to dehydrogenate the paraffinic hydrocarbons to monoolefinic hydrocarbons, and recovering from the dehydrogenation zone a dehydrogenation zone effluent stream comprising the monoolefinic hydrocarbons; and e) passing at least a portion of the dehydrogenation zone effluent stream and an aromatic stream comprising a feedstock aromatic compound to an alkylation zone operated at alkylation conditions to alkylate the feedstock aromatic compound with the monoolefinic hydrocarbons to produce alkylaromatic hydrocarbons, and recovering from the alkylation zone an alkylation effluent stream comprising the alkylaromatic hydrocarbons.