META-XYLENE PRODUCTION PROCESS

There is provided a process for producing high-purity meta-xylene by converting a hydrocarbon feedstream comprising at least about 5 wt % ethylbenzene and at least about 20 wt % meta-xylene, over a single molecular sieve catalyst under ethylbenzene conversion conditions sufficient to provide a primary product stream depleted of more than 50% of the ethylbenzene present in the feedstream. The process can further comprise stripping benzene and/or toluene by-products from the primary product stream to provide a secondary product stream comprising at least about 75 wt % mixed ortho-xylene and meta-xylene; and splitting the secondary product stream by removing substantially all of the ortho-xylene present therein to provide a tertiary product stream comprising at least about 95 wt % meta-xylene.