Energy and Capital Efficiency Differences in Benzene-Toluene Distillation Configurations

Benzene, Toluene and Xylene separation is a requirement for the production of the many valuable aromatic based materials used in consumer and industrial products. There are several options in performing these separations by distillation. This paper discusses the energy usage and capital cost implications of a conventional two column design vs a two column pressure cascade vs a single column dividing wall design.