US 12,459,879 B2
Systems and methods for producing high purity aromatics from a mixed aromatic feed stream
Paul G. Blommel, Oregon, WI (US); Matthew Van Straten, Madison, WI (US); and Brice Dally, Madison, WI (US)
Assigned to VIRENT, INC., Madison, WI (US)
Filed by VIRENT, INC., Madison, WI (US)
Filed on May 10, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/661,278.
Application 18/661,278 is a continuation of application No. 17/965,614, filed on Oct. 13, 2022, granted, now 12,017,990.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/255,812, filed on Oct. 14, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2025/0019324 A1, Jan. 16, 2025
Int. Cl. C07C 6/12 (2006.01); C07C 7/00 (2006.01); C07C 7/05 (2006.01); C07C 7/09 (2006.01); C10G 3/00 (2006.01)
CPC C07C 7/005 (2013.01) [C07C 6/12 (2013.01); C07C 7/05 (2013.01); C07C 7/09 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for separating an aromatic compound from a mixed aromatic feed stream, the method comprising:
(i) contacting a mixed aromatic feed stream comprising C7-10 aromatic hydrocarbons with an aromatics processing catalyst to produce a product stream comprising C8 aromatics,
wherein the aromatics processing catalyst comprises a transalkylation catalyst, a dealkylation catalyst, a hydrocracking catalyst, or a combination thereof,
wherein the mixed aromatic feed stream comprises greater than 1 wt % of non-aromatic components based on the total weight of the mixed aromatic feed stream, and wherein the mixed aromatic feed stream is substantially free of (a) C12+ aromatics and (b) co-boiling contaminants for benzene and toluene; and
(ii) fractionating the product stream to separate an aromatic compound from the product stream, which comprises:
(ii-a) feeding the product stream comprising C8 aromatics to a first distillation column that fractionates the product stream to separate a C7− stream from a C8+ stream; and
(ii-b) feeding at least a portion of the C8+ stream to a third distillation column that fractionates the portion of the C8+ stream into a C8 stream and a C9+ stream, wherein the C8 stream comprises the C8 aromatics,
(iii) subjecting at least a portion of the C8 stream to an isomer-recovery process unit to produce a xylene isomer stream and a raffinate stream comprising non-recovered C8 compounds, wherein at least a portion of the C8+ stream bypasses the distillation column of (ii-b) and is combined with the C8 stream entering the isomer-recovery process unit; and
(iv) contacting the raffinate stream with an isomerization catalyst to produce an isomerization product stream, wherein the isomerization product stream comprises at least one xylene isomer, and wherein at least a portion of the isomerization product stream is combined with the product stream produced from the aromatics processing catalyst in step (i).