Patent ID: 8431764

Claim:
A process for the separation of para-xylene from a mixture of C 8 alkylaromatics, comprising contacting the mixture of C 8 alkylaromatics with a zeolitic binder-converted composition under adsorption conditions, the zeolitic binder-converted composition comprising: a. a zeolite X composition having at least a first zeolite X having a mean diameter not greater than 2.7 microns, as determined by sedigraph analysis, and a second zeolite X, wherein the second zeolite X is obtained by converting a binder material to the second zeolite X and the binder material is in a range from 5 to 30 wt % of the zeolite X composition, and b. an unconverted binder material content, after conversion to the second zeolite X is complete, in a range from 0 to 3 wt % of the zeolite X composition; wherein the zeolite X composition has i. an average Si/Al framework mole ratio in a range from 1.0 to 1.5, wherein the Si/Al framework mole ratio of the first zeolite and the second zeolite may be the same or different; and ii. a relative LTA intensity not greater than 1.0, as determined by a x-ray diffraction (XRD) method using a source of CuKα radiation to obtain XRD intensities in range from 5° to 25° 2θ, wherein, the relative LTA intensity is calculated as 100 times the quotient of a ⁢ ⁢ sample ⁢ ⁢ LTA ⁢ ⁢ XRD ⁢ ⁢ intensity ⁢ ⁢ for ⁢ ⁢ the ⁢ ⁢ zeolite ⁢ ⁢ X a ⁢ ⁢ reference ⁢ ⁢ XRD ⁢ ⁢ intensity ⁢ ⁢ for ⁢ ⁢ a ⁢ ⁢ LTA ⁢ ⁢ zeolite reference ⁢ ⁢ material ⁢ ⁢ consisting ⁢ ⁢ essentially ⁢ ⁢ of ⁢ ⁢ LTA ⁢ ⁢ zeolite wherein, 1. the sample LTA XRD intensity of the zeolite X composition is the sum of the intensities for each LTA peak with Miller indices of (2 0 0), (4 2 0), and (6 2 2) at 7.27±0.16°, 16.29±0.34° and 24.27±0.50° 2θ, and 2. the reference XRD intensity of the LTA-type zeolite reference material is the sum of the intensities for each LTA peak with Miller indices of (2 0 0), (4 2 0), and (6 2 2) at 7.27±0.16°, 16.29±0.34° and 24.27±0.50° 2θ, wherein, the sample LTA XRD intensity and the reference XRD intensity are each a. obtained for a sodium-exchanged form of the zeolite X composition and the LTA-type zeolite reference material, respectively, and b. equilibrated at 50% relative humidity.