PRODUCTION OF STYRENE FROM ETHYLBENZENE USING AZEOTROPIC VAPORIZATION AND LOW OVERALL WATER TO ETHYLBENZENE RATIOS

A PROCESS FOR DEHYDROGENATION OF ALKYLAROMATIC HYDROCARBON, INCLUDING: CONTACTING A REACTANT VAPOR STREAM, COMPRISING AN ALKYLAROMATIC HYDROCARBON AND STEAM AND HAVING A FIRST STEAM TO ALKYLAROMATIC HYDROCARBON RATIO, WITH A DEHYDROGENATION CATALYST TO FORM A VAPOR PHASE EFFLUENT COMPRISING A PRODUCT HYDROCARBON, THE STEAM, AND UNREACTED ALKYLAROMATIC HYDROCARBON; FEEDING AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE EFFLUENT TO A SPLITTER TO SEPARATE THE PRODUCT HYDROCARBON FROM THE UNREACTED AIKYLAROMATIC HYDROCARBON; RECOVERED FROM THE SPLITTER AS BOTTOMS AND OVERHEADS FRACTIONS, RESPECTIVELY; RECOVERING HEAT FROM A FIRST PORTION OF SAID OVERHEADS FRACTION BY INDIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE WITH A MIXTURE COMPRISING ALKYLAROMATIC HYDROCARBON AND WATER TO AT LEAST PARTIALLY CONDENSE SAID PORTION AND TO FORM AN AZEOTROPIC VAPORIZATION PRODUCT COMPRISING AIKYLAROMATIC VAPOR AND STEAM HAVING A SECOND STEAM TO ALKYLAROMATIC HYDROCARBON RATIO; AND COMBINING THE AZEOTROPIC VAPORIZATION PRODUCT WITH ADDITIONAL ALKYLAROMATIC HYDROCARBON AND ADDITIONAL STEAM, TOGETHER OR SEPARATELY, TO FORM THE REACTANT VAPOR STREAM. (FIGURE 4)