Adsorptive separation of dimethyl biphenyl regioisomers using 12-member ring zeolite sorbents

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10322979-B2
Application number	US-201815886115-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2018
Priority date	Feb 1, 2017
Publication date	Jun 18, 2019
Grant date	Jun 18, 2019

Abstract

A process for separating dimethyl biphenyl (DMBP) isomers, including contacting a mixture of 3,3′-DMBP, 3,4′-DMBP and 4,4′-DMBP in a first solvent with a 12-member ring zeolite exchanged with potassium or barium, or combinations thereof, and adsorbing the 3,3′-DMBP onto the 12-member ring zeolite, such as by passing the mixture through at least one packed bed of the potassium and/or barium exchanged 12-member ring zeolite.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process for separating 3,3′-dimethyl biphenyl (DMBP) isomers from a mixture of 3,3′-DMBP, 3,4′-DMBP and 4,4′-DMBP isomers, the process comprising contacting the mixture with a 12-member ring zeolite exchanged with potassium or barium, or combinations thereof, wherein the 3,3′-DMBP isomer is more strongly adsorbed onto the 12-member ring than the 3-4′-DMBP and 4,4′-DMBP isomers.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the 12-member ring zeolite is exchanged with potassium.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the 12-member ring zeolite is exchanged with barium.

4. The process of claim 2 , wherein the 12-member ring zeolite is one of zeolite X (K—X) or zeolite Y (K—Y).

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the 12-member ring zeolite is one of barium and potassium-exchanged zeolite X (BaK—X) or barium and potassium-exchanged zeolite Y (BaK—Y).

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the isomer mixture is contained in a solvent which does not adsorb onto the 12-member ring zeolite.

7. A process for separating 3,3′-dimethyl biphenyl (DMBP) isomers from a mixture of 3,3′-DMBP, 3,4′-DMBP and 4,4′-DMBP isomers, the process comprising passing the mixture in a first solvent through at least one packed bed of 12-member ring zeolite exchanged with potassium or barium, or combinations thereof, wherein the 3,3′-DMBP is more strongly adsorbed onto the 12-member ring zeolite than the 3,4′-DMBP and 4,4′-DMBP isomers.

8. The process of claim 7 , wherein the 12-member ring zeolite is exchanged with potassium.

9. The process of claim 7 , wherein the 12-member ring zeolite is exchanged with barium.

10. The process of claim 7 , wherein the 12-member ring zeolite is one of zeolite X (K—X) or zeolite Y (K—Y).

11. The process of claim 7 , wherein the 12-member ring zeolite is one of barium and potassium-exchanged zeolite X (BaK—X) or barium and potassium-exchanged zeolite Y (BaK—Y).

12. The process of claim 7 , wherein the first solvent does not adsorb onto the 12-member ring zeolite.

13. The process of claim 7 , wherein the packed bed of 12-member ring zeolite is in a chromatographic column and the packed bed has an inlet and an outlet.

14. The process of claim 13 , further comprising collecting a raffinate mixture of 3,4′-DMBP and 4,4′-DMBP isomers at the outlet of the packed bed substantially before the 3,3′-DMBP isomer reaches the outlet of the packed bed.

15. The process of claim 14 , further comprising passing the raffinate mixture through multiple chromatographic columns containing packed beds of 12-member ring zeolite in a simulated moving bed separation system.

16. The process of claim 7 , further comprising desorbing the 3,3′-DMBP from the 12-member ring zeolite with a second solvent.

Assignees

• Exxonmobil Res & Eng Co

Inventors

• Mccool Benjamin A
• Lanci Michael P
• Partridge Randall D
• Pereira Carla S

Classifications

• B01J20/28007

  with size in the range 1-100 nanometers, e.g. nanosized particles, nanofibers, nanotubes, nanowires or the like (carbon nanostructures B01J20/205) · CPC title

• C07C2/74 Primary

  by addition with simultaneous hydrogenation · CPC title

• C07C5/367

  Formation of an aromatic six-membered ring from an existing six-membered ring, e.g. dehydrogenation of ethylcyclohexane to ethylbenzene · CPC title

• C07C2/66

  Catalytic processes · CPC title

• B01J20/186

  Chemical treatments in view of modifying the properties of the sieve, e.g. increasing the stability or the activity, also decreasing the activity · CPC title