Patent ID: 7972568

Claim:
An apparatus for separating para-xylene from a feed stream comprising C8 aromatic hydrocarbons and at least one C9 aromatic hydrocarbon component, the apparatus comprising: (a) a first adsorptive separation zone for separating para-xylene from the feed stream comprising a first adsorbent chamber containing a first adsorbent; (b) a feed conduit providing fluid communication of the feed stream to the first adsorptive separation zone; (c) a desorbent conduit providing fluid communication of a first desorbent component to the first adsorptive separation zone; (d) a first extract distillation zone comprising an extract distillation column; (e) a first extract conduit providing fluid communication from the first adsorptive separation zone to the first extract distillation zone; (f) a raffinate distillation zone comprising a raffinate distillation column; (g) a first raffinate conduit providing fluid communication from the first adsorptive separation zone to the raffinate distillation zone; (h) a second adsorptive separation zone for separating the C9 aromatic hydrocarbon component from the first desorbent component comprising a second adsorbent chamber containing a second adsorbent; (i) a C9 aromatic hydrocarbon conduit providing fluid communication of the C9 aromatic hydrocarbon component and the first desorbent component from the raffinate distillation zone to the second adsorptive separation zone; (j) a recycle conduit providing fluid communication of the first desorbent component from at least one of the first extract distillation zone and the raffinate distillation zone to the first adsorptive separation zone; and (k) a second recycle conduit providing fluid communication of the first desorbent component from the second adsorptive separation zone to the first extract distillation zone.