Paraxylene (PX) Production and

Manufacturing Process
05 November 2007 16:15 Source:ICIS

Mixed xylenes are produced by high severity catalytic reforming of naphtha, from which the C8
stream contains ortho-, meta- and paraxylenes, and ethyl benzene. Xylenes are also obtained
from the pyrolysis gasoline stream in a naphtha steam cracker and by toluene disproportionation.
Conventional PX technology is based on the isomerisation of mixed xylenes. High purity product
can be obtained using crystallisation or selective adsorptive separation, such as UOP's Parex and
IFP's Eluxyl processes.
Toluene disproportionation offers an alternative route with the latest catalysts able to produce a
PX-rich stream, but this route co-produces benzene. Processes have also been developed using a
zeolite catalyst for the alkylation of toluene with methanol to produce PX without
the benzene coproduct.
The UOP/BP Cyclar process, where propane and butane are converted to PX and benzene, was
commercialised in Saudi Arabia in 1999.