The hydrodealkylation process of toluene (HDA) has been used as a case study in a large number of control studies. However, in terms of industrial application, this process has become obsolete and is nowadays superseded by new technologies capable of processing heavy aromatic compounds, which increase the added value of the raw materials, such as the process of transalkylation and disproportionation of toluene (TADP). TADP also presents more complex feed and product streams and challenging operational characteristics both in the reactor and separator sections than in HDA. This work is aimed at proposing the TADP process as a new benchmark for plantwide control studies in lieu of the HAD process. For this purpose, a nonlinear dynamic rigorous model for the TADP process was developed using Aspen Plus™ and Aspen Dynamics™ and industrial conditions. Plantwide control structures (oriented to control and to the process) were adapted and applied for the first time for this process. The results show that, even though both strategies are similar in terms of control performance, the optimization of economic factors must still be sought.
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