Process for production and recovery of paraxylene

Claim 1

A CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR RECOVERING PARAXYLENE FROM A FEED STOCK CONSISTING OF A LIQUID MIXTURE OF HYDROCARBONS INCLUDING PARAXYLENE IN THE RANGE OF FROM ABOUT 15% TO 25% BY VOLUME AND AT LEAST ONE OTHER ISOMERIC XYLENE WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF ESTABLISHING A FIRST BODY OF SLURRY CONSISTING OF PARAXYLENE CRYSTALS AND MOTHER LIQUID AND CONTINUOUSLY MAINTAINING SAID FIRST BODY SLURRY AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT -80*F., ESTABLISHING A SECOND BODY OF SLURRY CONSISTING OF PARAXYLENE CRYSTALS AND MOTHER LIQUOR AND CONTINUOUSLY MAINTAINING SAID SECOND BODY OF SLURRY AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT -90* TO ABOUT -105*F., CONTINUOUSLY CHARGING A STREAM OF SAID FEED STOCK TO SAIDFIRST BODY OF SLURRY CONTINUOUSLY CHARGING A TRANSFER STREAM OF FIRST BODY SLURRY TO SAID SECOND BODY, CONTINUOUSLY REMOVING A DISCHARGE STREAM FROM SAID SECOND BODY SLURRY AND SEPARATING A CAKE OF PARAXYLENE CRYSTALS FROM SAID DISCHARGE STREAM OF SECOND BODY SLURRY, SAID TRANSFER STREAM AND SAID DISCHARGE STREAM BEING REMOVED, RESPECTIVELY, FROM SAID FIRST AND SECOND BODIES AT THE SAME RATE AT WHICH SAID FEED STOCK IS CHARGED TO SAID FIRST BODY, SAID TRANSFER STREAM AND SAID DISCHARGE STREAM BEING REMOVED, RESPECTIVELY, FROM SAID FIRST AND SECOND BODIES AT A RATE SUFFICIENT TO PROVIDE FOR AN AVERAGE SLURRY RESIDENCE TIME OF FROM ABOUT 0.5 TO 3 HOURS IN EACH OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND BODIES.