Process for the production of purified xylene isomers

A process for producing para-xylene, PX, the process comprising:

• (a) supplying at least one hydrocarbon feed comprising C8+ aromatics to a PX production system comprising a C9+-aromatics-removal system, a PX-recovery system, a first isomerization system, a second isomerization system, and a C7− hydrocarbons-removal system;
• (b) separating C9+-aromatics from said feed in said C9+-aromatics-removal system to recover at least one C8-aromatics stream, at least one PX-lean stream having a lower PX concentration than said C8-aromatics stream, and at least one C9+-aromatics-rich stream;
• (c) separating said C8-aromatics stream in said PX-recovery system to recover a PX-rich stream and a PX-depleted stream;
• (d) isomerizing at least partially in the vapor phase said PX-depleted stream in said first isomerization system to produce a first isomerized stream having a higher PX concentration than said PX-depleted stream;
• (e) separating C7− hydrocarbons from said first isomerized stream in said C7− hydrocarbons-removal system to produce a C7− hydrocarbons-rich stream and a C7− hydrocarbons-depleted isomerized stream having a lower C7− hydrocarbons concentration than said first isomerized stream;
• (f) recycling said C7− hydrocarbons-depleted isomerized stream to said C9+-aromatics-removal system;
• (g) isomerizing at least partially in the liquid phase said PX-lean stream in said second isomerization system to produce a second isomerized stream having a higher PX concentration than said PX-lean stream;
• and
• (h) recycling said second isomerized stream to said C9+-aromatics-removal system.