PROCESS FOR THE SEPARATION OF PARA-XYLENE USING AN ETHER AS DESORBENT

摘要

A process for the production of paraxylene from a C8 aromatic hydrocarbon stream using simulated moving bed countercurrent adsorption in combination with an ether desorbent and preferably a Ba X zeolite adsorbent. The adsorbent/ether desorbent system has been found to be particularly good when the water content of the system is carefully controlled. Preferred ether desorbents are diisopropyl ether and methyl tertiary-butyl ether.