# US 10,865,169 B2 · Liquid phase isomerization process integration

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- Number: US 10,865,169 B2
- Document ID: US10865169B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/598,140
- Filed: 2017-05-17
- Published: 2017-12-07
- Granted: 2020-12-15
- Earliest claimed: 2016-06-07
- Assignees: Uop LLC
- Applicants: Uop LLC
- Inventors: Joseph A. Montalbano; Patrick C. Whitchurch; Gregory R. Werba; Ian G. Horn
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10865169B2

## CPC

- C07C 7/12: by adsorption, i.e. purification or separation of hydrocarbons with the aid of solids, e.g. with ion-exchangers
- B01D 3/141: {where at least one distillation column contains at least one dividing wall}
- C07C 4/12: from hydrocarbons containing a six-membered aromatic ring, e.g. propyltoluene to vinyltoluene
- C07C 5/2708: {with crystalline alumino-silicates, e.g. molecular sieves}
- C07C 5/2737: {with crystalline alumino-silicates, e.g. molecular sieves}
- C07C 5/2775: {with crystalline alumino-silicates, e.g. molecular sieves}
- C07C 6/126: {of more than one hydrocarbon}
- C07C 7/005: {Processes comprising at least two steps in series}
- C07C 7/04: by distillation
- C10G 59/02: plural serial stages only
- C10G 61/06: the refining step being a sorption process
- Y02P 20/10: Process efficiency
- C07C: ACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
- B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28)
- C10G: CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION (cracking to hydrogen or synthesis gas C01B; cracking or pyrolysis of hydrocarbon gases to individual hydrocarbons or mixtures thereof of definite or specified constitution C07C; cracking to cokes C10B); RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

Processes and apparatuses for producing a C8 aromatic isomer product are provided. The process comprises introducing a reformate stream comprising aromatic hydrocarbons to a reformate splitter column to provide a plurality of streams. One or more streams comprising at least one stream from the plurality of streams is passed to a reformate upgrading unit to obtain an upgraded reformate stream. The upgraded reformate stream is passed to an aromatics stripper column to provide an aromatics stripper sidedraw stream comprising C8 aromatic hydrocarbons. The aromatics stripper sidedraw stream is passed to a xylene separation unit to provide the C8 aromatic isomer product and a raffinate product stream. At least a portion of the raffinate product stream is processed in a liquid phase isomerization unit to obtain an isomerized stream.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process for producing a C8 aromatic isomer product from a reformate stream, wherein the process comprises:
(a) introducing a reformate stream comprising aromatic hydrocarbons to a reformate splitter column to provide a reformate splitter bottoms stream comprising C8+ aromatic hydrocarbons, a reformate splitter sidedraw stream comprising C8 aromatic hydrocarbons, and a reformate splitter overhead stream comprising C7− aromatic hydrocarbons;
(b) subjecting at least the reformate splitter sidedraw stream to reformate upgrading conditions in a reformate upgrading unit to convert a portion of ethylbenzene to obtain an upgraded reformate stream, wherein the reformate upgrading unit and a transalkylation unit share a common compressor;
(c) passing the upgraded reformate stream to an aromatics stripper column to provide an aromatics stripper sidedraw stream comprising C8 aromatic hydrocarbons and an aromatics stripper bottoms stream;
(d) passing the aromatics stripper sidedraw stream to a xylene separation unit to provide the C8 aromatic isomer product and a raffinate product stream comprising C8 aromatic isomers;
(e) contacting at least a first portion of the raffinate product stream with an isomerization catalyst in an isomerization unit in liquid phase at isomerization conditions in the absence of hydrogen to obtain an isomerized stream;
(f) passing at least a first portion of the isomerized stream to the xylene separation unit;
(g) passing at least a second portion of the isomerized stream to the aromatics stripper column;
(h) passing the aromatics stripper bottoms stream and the reformate splitter bottoms stream to an aromatics rerun column to provide an aromatics rerun column overhead stream comprising C8 aromatic hydrocarbons including ethylbenzene; and
(i) passing the aromatics rerun column overhead stream and a second portion of the raffinate product stream to the reformate upgrading unit.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 further comprising:
passing the reformate splitter overhead stream to an aromatics-extraction step to produce an aromatics extract stream comprising benzene and toluene, and
passing the aromatics extract stream to a fractionation step to provide a benzene product stream and a toluene enriched stream.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The process of claim 2 further comprising passing the toluene enriched stream and an aromatics rerun column sidedraw stream rich in C9 and C10 alkylaromatics from the aromatics rerun column to the transalkylation unit.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein the aromatics stripper column is divided wall column.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein the xylene separation unit is a simulated moving bed adsorption unit.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The process of claim 5 wherein the xylene separation unit uses a desorbent with a lower boiling point than the C8 aromatic isomers.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The process of claim 6 wherein the desorbent is toluene.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein the C8 aromatic isomer product is one of para-xylene or meta-xylene.

### Claim 9

A process for producing a C8 aromatic isomer product from a reformate stream, wherein the process comprises:
(a) introducing a reformate stream comprising aromatic hydrocarbons to a reformate splitter column to provide a reformate splitter bottoms stream comprising C8+ aromatic hydrocarbons, a reformate splitter sidedraw stream comprising C8 aromatic hydrocarbons and a reformate splitter overhead stream comprising C7− aromatic hydrocarbons;
(b) subjecting the reformate splitter sidedraw stream to reformate upgrading conditions in a reformate upgrading unit to convert a portion of ethylbenzene to obtain an upgraded reformate stream, wherein the reformate upgrading unit and a transalkylation unit share a common compressor;
(c) passing the upgraded reformate stream to an aromatics stripper column to provide an aromatics stripper sidedraw stream comprising C8 aromatic hydrocarbons and an aromatics stripper bottoms stream, wherein the aromatic stripper column comprises a divided wall column;
(d) passing the aromatics stripper sidedraw stream to a xylene separation unit to provide the C8 aromatic isomer product and a raffinate product stream comprising C8 aromatic isomers;
(e) contacting at least a first portion of the raffinate product stream with an isomerization catalyst in an isomerization unit in liquid phase at isomerization conditions in the absence of hydrogen to obtain an isomerized stream;
(f) passing the aromatics stripper bottoms stream and the reformate splitter bottoms stream comprising C8+ aromatic hydrocarbons to an aromatics rerun column;
(g) passing a bottoms stream from the aromatics rerun column to a heavy aromatics column;
(h) passing a first portion of the isomerized stream to the xylene separation unit; and
(i) passing a second portion of the raffinate product stream and an aromatics rerun column overhead stream comprising C8 aromatic hydrocarbons to the reformate upgrading unit.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The process of claim 9 further comprising:
passing the reformate splitter overhead stream to an aromatics-extraction step to produce an aromatics extract stream comprising benzene and toluene, and
passing the aromatics extract stream to a fractionation step to provide a benzene product stream and a toluene enriched stream.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The process of claim 10 further comprising passing the toluene enriched stream and an aromatics rerun column sidedraw stream rich in C9 and C10 alkylaromatics from the aromatics rerun column to the transalkylation unit.