Benzene → Cumene

Participants

Reaction Steps

In a preferred embodiment, as step (f), a make-up benzene stream is fed to a make-up benzene feed stage of the tower in fluid communication between the upper distillation zone below and a top distillation zone above. In a step (g), water is separated from the benzene condensed in step (e) to form a wet benzene stream. As step (h), the wet benzene stream from step (g) is refluxed to the top distillation zone. In a step (i), the bottom product from step (b) is preferably fed to a cumene column to obtain a cumene product stream essentially free of diisopropylbenzene and heavier benzene alkylates, and a bottoms stream comprising diisopropylbenzene and heavier benzene alkylates. In a step (j), the bottoms stream from step (i) is preferably fed to a diisopropylbenzene column to obtain a diisopropylbenzene stream essentially free of heavier benzene alkylates. As step (k), the propane stream from step (e) is contacted with the diisopropylbenzene stream from step (j) in an absorber to obtain a propane stream essentially free of benzene and a diisopropylbenzene stream containing benzene absorbed from the propane stream. The process can further comprise as step (l), compressing and cooling the propane stream from step (k) to form liquefied petroleum gas. The process can also comprise as step (m) feeding the benzene stream from step (c) to a heated side-stripper to form a dehydrated liquid benzene stream and a benzene vapor stream of enhances water content, and as step (n) returning the benzene vapor stream from step (m) to adjacent the side draw stage of step (c).

Provenance & Evidence