This ethylbenzene process involves contacting, in an alkylation zone, a
first benzene recycle stream and an ethylene feed stream with an
alkylation catalyst to form ethylbenzene. In a transalkylation zone, a
polyethylbenzene recycle stream and a second benzene recycle stream are
contacted with a transalkylation catalyst to form additional
ethylbenzene. The effluents are passed into a dividing wall distillation
column. An ethylbenzene stream is removed from an intermediate point of
the dividing wall fractionation column; a first benzene recycle stream is
removed from a first end and a flux oil stream is removed from a second
end. A second benzene recycle stream is removed from an intermediate
point located between the first end and the ethylbenzene stream. A
polyethylbenzene stream is removed from an intermediate point of located
between the second end and the ethylbenzene stream.