Patent ID: 7977526

Claim:
A process for the separation of a first chemical compound from a liquid feed stream comprising at least first and second chemical compounds by simulated countercurrent adsorptive separation, the process comprising: (a) passing the feed stream and a liquid desorbent stream into at least one multi-bed adsorbent chamber at two different points via different transfer lines; (b) removing an extract stream rich in said first chemical compound and a raffinate stream depleted in said first chemical compound from the adsorbent chamber at two different points by two additional transfer lines; and (c) flushing the contents of the transfer line which has just been used to supply the desorbent stream into the adsorbent chamber at a point along the chamber between said transfer line just used to supply the desorbent stream and the transfer line just used to withdraw the raffinate wherein the feed stream comprises a C 8 aromatics hydrocarbon stream and said first chemical compound comprises para-xylene.