# US 2019/0169091 A1 · Processes and apparatuses for methylation of aromatics in an aromatics complex

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- Number: US 2019/0169091 A1
- Document ID: US20190169091A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/832,569
- Filed: 2017-12-05
- Published: 2019-06-06
- Earliest claimed: 2017-12-05
- Assignees: Uop LLC
- Applicants: Uop LLC
- Inventors: Timur V. Voskoboynikov; Deng-Yang Jan; John Q. Chen; Edwin P. Boldingh
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190169091A1

## CPC

- C07C 2/864: {the non-hydrocarbon is an alcohol}
- C07C 6/04: at a carbon-to-carbon double bond
- C07C 6/126: {of more than one hydrocarbon}
- C07C 7/005: {Processes comprising at least two steps in series}
- C07C 2529/18: of the mordenite type
- C07C 2529/70: of types characterised by their specific structure not provided for in groups C07C2529/08 - C07C2529/65
- C07C: ACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS

## Abstract

This present disclosure relates to processes and apparatuses for methylation of aromatics in an aromatics complex for producing a xylene isomer product. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a process for producing para-xylene by the selective methylation of toluene and/or benzene in an aromatics complex.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process for the methylation of toluene, comprising:
passing a toluene feed stream and three methanol feed streams to a reaction zone to produce a reaction zone product stream;
separating the reaction zone product stream and passing the reaction zone product stream to a stripper to produce a vent gas stream, an overhead stream comprising toluene and xylenes, a side cut comprising xylenes and a bottoms stream comprising C9+, specifically containing diphenylmethane components; and
passing the C9+ stream to a transalkylation zone comprising a transalkylation catalyst comprising at least one MWW or mordenite type zeolite.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the toluene stream and at least one methanol stream are admixed before entering the reaction zone.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein one additional methanol stream is passed to the reaction zone.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein two additional methanol streams are passed to the reaction zone.

### Claim 5

(canceled)

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the reaction zone comprises at least one reactor.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the reaction zone comprises no more than four reactors.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the reaction zone operates at a temperature of at about 200° C. to about 400° C.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the reaction zone operates at a temperature of at about 250° C. to about 350° C.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the transalkyation zone operates at a temperature of about 300° C. to about 500° C.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the transalkyation zone operates at a pressure of about 1379 kPa (about 200 psig) to about 4137 kPa (about 600 psig).

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the reaction zone operates at a pressure of about 103 kPa (about 15 psig) to about 2758 kPa (about 400 psig).

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the reaction zone operates at a pressure of about 345 kPa (about 50 psig) to about 1379 kPa (about 200 psig).

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the overhead stream comprising toluene is recycled to the toluene feed stream.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, further comprising separating a methanol stream from the reaction zone product stream and recycling the methanol stream to the methanol feed stream.

### Claim 16

An apparatus for the methylation of toluene, comprising:
a plurality of lines comprising toluene in direct communication with a reaction zone wherein the reaction zone is also coupled to a line comprising the reaction zone product stream;
the reaction zone product stream is in direct communication with a stripper to produce a line comprising a vent gas stream, an overhead line comprising toluene and xylenes, a side cut line comprising xylenes and a bottoms line comprising C9+, specifically containing diphenylmethane components; and
the bottoms line comprising C9+ stream is in direct communication with a transalkylation zone comprising a transalkylation catalyst comprising at least one MWW or mordenite type zeolite.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the reaction zone comprises at least one reactor.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the reaction zone comprises no more than four reactors.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the reaction zone operates at a temperature of at about 200° C. to about 400° C.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the reaction zone operates at a pressure of about 103 kPa (about 15 psig) to about 2758 kPa (about 400 psig).