TOP DIVIDING WALL COLUMN TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE PROCESSING OF XYLENES

摘要

A top divided wall distillation column (TDWC) is disclosed that separates multiple feedstocks to produce, from the top of the TDWC, xylene mixtures with different compositions. The TDWC allows for production of xylene mixtures with different compositions to be segregated and fed to different locations within a paraxylene recovery section. Different feedstocks are fed to either side of the TDWC depending on the compositions or difference in isomer ratios of the feedstocks. The xylene mixtures produced at the top from two sides of the column will have different isomer ratios from one another, but the isomer ratios are the same as the isomer ratios of their respective feedstocks.