Abstract:
ALKYL AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS ARE ISOMERIZED AND DISPROPORTIONATED BY CONTACTING THEM AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURES IN THE PRESENCE OF HYDROGEN GAS WITH A CATALYST COMPRISING A SILICA-ALUMINA CRACKING BASE IMPREGNATED WITH A HYDROGENATION COMPONENT, A SECOND METAL FROM GROUP V-A OF THE PERIODIC TABLE, AND A HALOGEN. THE PREFERRED HYDROGENATION COMPONENT IS NICKEL, THE PREFERRED GROUP V-A METAL IS ARSENIC, AND THE PREFERRED HALOGEN IS FLUORINE.
Abstract:
IN AN ISOMERIZATION ZONE, C8 AROMATICS ARE CONVERTED INTO XYLENE ISOMERS AND NAPHTHENES. CONVENTIONAL ISOMERIZATION TECHNIQUES ARE USED TO PRODUCE THE XYLENES AND NAPHTHENES, AND CONVENTIONAL FRACTIONAL CRYSTALLIZATION TECHNIQUES ARE THEN USED TO SEPARATE PARAXYLENE FROM OTHER ISOMERS OF XYLENES. THE DISTINGUISHING FEATURE OF MY INVENTION IS THE SEPARATION OF THE XYLENES FROM THE NAPH-
THENES BEFORE CRYSTALLIZATION AND THEN RECYCLING THE NAPHTHENES TO THE ISOMERIZATION ZONE.