Process and apparatuses for producing benzene and para-xylene from a reformate stream is provided. The process comprises separating the reformate stream to provide a first stream comprising C.sub.4 and lighter hydrocarbons and a second stream comprising aromatic hydrocarbons. The second steam is provided to a reformate splitter to provide a reformate bottoms stream comprising C.sub.8+ aromatic hydrocarbons and a reformate overhead stream comprising C.sub.7 aromatic hydrocarbons. The reformate overhead stream is passed to an aromatics extraction unit to provide an aromatics extract stream comprising benzene and toluene and a raffinate stream comprising non-aromatic hydrocarbons. The reformate bottoms stream and one of the first stream and the raffinate stream is passed to an olefin reduction zone, wherein the reformate bottoms stream and one of the first stream and the raffinate stream are contacted with an olefin saturation catalyst under olefin saturation conditions to produce an olefin-treated reformate stream.

The present invention is an improved process and apparatus for producing para-xylene, particularly with respect to a process that involves the methylation of toluene and/or benzene to selectively produce para-xylene, wherein streams having differing amounts of ethylbenzene are separately treated in the recovery of para-xylene. A first hydrocarbon feed comprising xylenes and ethylbenzene is provided to a first para-xylene adsorption section, and a second hydrocarbon feed comprising xylenes and less EB than the first hydrocarbon feed is provided to a second para-xylene adsorption section. Segregating the feeds with differing ethylbenzene contents increases the overall efficiency of the adsorption of para-xylene by the adsorption units. Efficiency and energy savings may be further improved by subjecting the lower-content ethylbenzene stream to liquid phase isomerization.

A process for producing para-xylene (PX) comprises supplying a hydrocarbon feed comprising xylenes and ethylbenzene (EB) to a PX recovery unit, where a PX-rich stream and at least one PX-depleted stream are recovered from the feed. The PX-depleted stream is then separated into an EB-rich stream and an EB-depleted stream in a divided wall column. The EB-depleted stream is then isomerized under at least partial liquid phase conditions to produce a first isomerized stream having a higher PX concentration than the PX-depleted stream, and the EB-rich stream is isomerized under at least partial vapor phase conditions to produce a second isomerized stream having a higher PX concentration than the PX-depleted stream. The first and second isomerized streams are then recycled to the PX recovery unit to recover additional PX and the process is repeated to define a so-called xylene isomerization loop.

Methods and alternatives for the efficient and cost-effective production of high-octane fuel blends from C9 aromatic feeds including methyl benzenes and C2 and/or higher alkyl benzenes, The fuel blend can serve as a high-octane unleaded fuel or fuel blending component for a wide range of applications, particularly aviation gasoline and other high-performance transportation fuels.

Methods and alternatives for the efficient and cost-effective production of high-octane fuel blends from C9 aromatic feeds including methyl benzenes and C2 and/or higher alkyl benzenes, The fuel blend can serve as a high-octane unleaded fuel or fuel blending component for a wide range of applications, particularly aviation gasoline and other high-performance transportation fuels.

Processes for producing cresol from an alkylphenol stream involve transalkylating the longer-chain alkylphenols (i.e., having an alkyl chain with 2 or more carbon atoms) with an aromatic solvent such as benzene and/or toluene in a first transalky lation reaction zone to obtain phenol, cresol, xylenol, trimethylphenol, and alkylbenzenes. The xylenols and trimethylphenols are reacted with phenol in a second transalkylation reactor to obtain the desired cresols. Xylenes can also be produced.

Processes for producing cresol from an alkylphenol stream involve transalkylating the longer-chain alkylphenols (i.e., having an alkyl chain with 2 or more carbon atoms) with an aromatic solvent such as benzene and/or toluene in a first transalky lation reaction zone to obtain phenol, cresol, xylenol, trimethylphenol, and alkylbenzenes. The xylenols and trimethylphenols are reacted with phenol in a second transalkylation reactor to obtain the desired cresols. Xylenes can also be produced.

A process for producing paraxylene is provided. The process includes separating a first mixture of C.sub.8 aromatic hydrocarbons in a simulated moving bed apparatus using a desorbent to produce (i) an extract comprising 50.0 wt % of the paraxylene in the first mixture; (ii) a desorbent-rich raffinate comprising 75 wt % of the desorbent withdrawn, and (iii) an desorbent-lean raffinate comprising 25 wt % of the desorbent withdrawn in the desorbent-rich and desorbent-lean raffinates. The desorbent-lean raffinate can then, without an intervening separation step, be passed to a refinery process or a vapor phase isomerization reaction to produce an effluent comprising paraxylene in a greater concentration than the desorbent-lean raffinate. The desorbent-rich raffinate can be passed to a liquid phase isomerization reaction to produce an effluent comprising paraxylene in a greater concentration than the desorbent-rich raffinate.

Processes for catalytically converting oxygenates to hydrocarbon products having an increased C.sub.6-C.sub.8 aromatics content therein. A first mixture comprising 10.0 wt. % of at least one oxygenate, based on the weight of the first mixture, contacts a catalyst in a fluidized bed reactor to produce a product stream including water, one or more hydrocarbons comprising 30.0 wt. % of aromatics, based on the weight of the hydrocarbons in the product stream, hydrogen, and one or more oxygenates. The catalyst comprises at least one molecular sieve, a binder, and at least one element selected from Groups 2-14 of the Periodic Table. At least one water-rich stream, at least one aromatic-rich hydrocarbon stream, and at least one aromatic-depleted hydrocarbon stream are separated from the product stream, and at least a portion of one of the aromatic-rich hydrocarbon stream or the aromatic-depleted hydrocarbon stream is recycled back to the reactor.

The invention is directed to a process to produce para-xylene and, optionally, ortho-xylene, including coupling two in-series xylenes separation systems with two parallel isomerization systems for energy savings and/or productivity increases.