US 11,691,933 B2
Processes and systems for converting benzene and/or toluene via methylation
Seth M. Washburn, Houston, TX (US); Hsu Chiang, Humble, TX (US); Catherine M. Dorsi, Houston, TX (US); and Tan-Jen Chen, Seattle, WA (US)
Assigned to ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc., Baytown, TX (US)
Appl. No. 17/431,846
Filed by ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc., Baytown, TX (US)
PCT Filed Mar. 18, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/023383
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 18, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/197888, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 1, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/825,258, filed on Mar. 28, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 19185662 (EP), filed on Jul. 11, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0153659 A1, May 19, 2022
Int. Cl. C07C 2/86 (2006.01); B01J 8/02 (2006.01); B01J 29/70 (2006.01)
CPC C07C 2/865 (2013.01) [B01J 8/02 (2013.01); B01J 29/7038 (2013.01); C07C 2/864 (2013.01); C07C 2529/70 (2013.01)] 26 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A process for converting benzene and/or toluene, the process comprising:
(a) feeding an aromatic hydrocarbon feed and a methylating agent feed into a methylation reactor, wherein the aromatic hydrocarbon feed comprises benzene and/or toluene, and the methylating agent feed comprises methanol and/or dimethyl ether;
(b) contacting the aromatic hydrocarbon feed with the methylating agent feed in the presence of a methylation catalyst in the methylation reactor under methylation reaction conditions effective to produce a methylation product mixture effluent exiting the methylation reactor, wherein the methylation catalyst comprises a zeolite of the MWW framework type, and the methylation product mixture effluent comprises toluene, p-xylene, methanol, and dimethyl ether;
(c) Obtaining a dimethyl ether-rich stream from at least a portion of the methylation product mixture effluent, wherein (c) comprises:
(c1) separating the methylation product mixture effluent to obtain an aqueous phase and an oil phase; and
(c2) separating the oil phase to obtain the dimethyl ether-rich stream of (c) and an aromatics-rich stream comprising p-xylene and toluene; and
(d) recycling at least a portion of the dimethyl ether-rich stream Obtained in (c) to (a) as at least a portion of the methylating agent feed.