The control properties of thermally coupled distillation sequences for the separation of quaternary mixtures of hydrocarbons were compared to those of conventional distillation sequences. Two thermally coupled systems were investigated: a thermally coupled distillation sequence with side columns and a Petlyuk-type column. The preliminary steady-state design of the thermally coupled distillation sequences was obtained by starting from a conventional distillation sequence and then optimizing for minimum energy consumption. The control properties of the sequences considered were obtained by using the singular value decomposition technique and closed-loop dynamic simulations under feedback control. It was found that, for some frequencies, the thermally coupled distillation sequences present theoretical control properties similar to those of conventional distillation sequences, i.e., similar minimum singular values and condition numbers. Also, both types of distillation sequences show interactions when relati...