Inventors:
Timothy P. Bender - Houston TX, US
John W. Rebeck - Katy TX, US
Rimas V. Vebeliunas - Houston TX, US
John R. Porter - Friendswood TX, US
Anthony Go - Houston TX, US
Larry L. Iaccino - Seabrook TX, US
Glenn C. Wood - Houston TX, US
Assignee:
ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc. - Baytown TX
International Classification:
C07C 2/64
C07C 5/22
B01J 19/00
Abstract:
In a process for producing para-xylene, a naphtha feed is reformed under conditions effective to convert at least 50 wt % of the naphthenes in the naphtha feed to aromatics, but to convert no more than 25 wt % of the paraffins in the naphtha feed, and thereby produce a reforming effluent. A first stream containing benzene and/or toluene is removed from the reforming effluent and is fed to a xylene production unit under conditions effective to convert benzene and/or toluene to xylenes. In addition, a second stream containing C8 aromatics is removed from the reforming effluent and is fed, together with at least part of the xylenes produced in the xylene production unit, to a para-xylene recovery unit to recover a para-xylene product stream and leave a para-xylene-depleted C8 stream. At least part of para-xylene-depleted C8 stream is then fed to a xylene isomerization unit effective to isomerize xylenes in para-xylene-depleted stream back towards an equilibrium mixture of xylenes and thereby produce an isomerization effluent. The isomerization effluent is then recycled to the para-xylene extraction unit.
