Reliable, high purity and efficient aromatics recovery to enhance profitability

Recover Para-xylene from mixed Xylenes

The UOP Parex™ process is an effective separation method for the recovery of para-xylene from mixed xylenes offering proven high product purity, high product recovery, high on-stream efficiency, and extended adsorbent life. Since commercializing the technology in 1971, UOP has licensed more than 100 Parex units around the world ranging in size from 21,000 MTA to 1,600,000 MTA of para-xylene production.

Unlike conventional batch chromatography, the Parex process utilizes a technique known as simulating-moving-bed separation.  The process simulates a moving bed of adsorbent with a continuous counter-current flow of the liquid feed.  Feed and products enter and leave the adsorbent bed continuously at nearly constant compositions.

Our latest efforts in adsorbent innovation introduced the ADS-47 adsorbent, which offer the highest Parex capacity and lowest pressure drop available to date from our portfolio.

The Parex process, which facilitates efficient downstream para-xylene conversion to terephthalic acid and ultimately polyester fiber, films, and resin, offers:

• More than 97 wt-% recovery from a single feed pass
• Product purity of 99.9 wt-%
• Reliability typically exceeding 350 operating days per year
• Large single train designs that exceed 1000 KMTA para-xylene capacity
• Optimized unit designs that minimize capital costs and utilities consumption

UOP Parex process services may include:

• Research and development
• Process evaluation
• Market and economic studies
• Consultation
• Engineering services
• Technical and marketing services
• Design services

Recover High Purity Benzene and Toluene

The UOP Extractive Distillation (ED) Sulfolane™ process uses Sulfolane solvent for the recovery of high purity benzene and toluene products from reformate splitter overhead. It is a simplified, low capital investment alternative (as much as 80% less) to the traditional Sulfolane process. The process offers:

• 99.9 wt-% purity benzene (ASTM Refined Benzene-545)
• High purity toluene with less than 1000 wt-ppm non-aromatics.
• Benzene and toluene recovery greater than 99.5%
• Low solvent consumption
• Maximum energy efficiency

Recover Meta-xylene

The UOP MX Sorbex™ process recovers meta-xylene from mixed xylenes feedstocks. Meta-xylene is used in the production of purified isophthalic acid (PIA), an intermediate in the production of polyester resins. The most rapidly growing application for PIA is as co-polymer in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin bottles.

The UOP MX Sorbex process has become the new industry standard for meta-xylene recovery due to its reduced environmental impact, inherent safety and improved economics compared to HF=BF3 extraction technology.

The MX Sorbex process can be integrated into an existing UOP aromatics complex and offers several distinct advantages:

• Meta-xylene production at 99.5 wt-% purity
• 95 wt-% recovery per pass
• Carbon steel metallurgy and low equipment count
• 8 to 10 year adsorbent life
• A high on-stream factor for reliable operation

Contact us for more information.

Related Products & Services

• UOP Aromatics Catalysts