The present invention relates to a device and a process for converting aromatic compounds, wherein: methyl-substituted aromatic compounds are extracted from a hydrocarbon feedstock (2) comprising aromatic compounds having at least 8 carbon atoms in an extraction unit (1), to produce at least one effluent enriched in methyl-substituted aromatic compounds (3A, 3B) and an effluent depleted in methyl-substituted aromatic compounds (4); and C2+ alkyl chains of the aromatic compounds of the depleted effluent (4) are converted into methyl groups in a hydrogenolysis unit (5) placed downstream of the extraction unit (1), to produce a hydrogenolysis effluent enriched in methyl-substituted aromatic compounds (7).

The present invention relates to a hydrogenolysis process wherein a hydrocarbon-based feedstock comprising aromatic compounds having at least 8 carbon atoms is treated by means of a hydrogen feed and in the presence of a catalyst, in order to convert C2+ alkyl chains of said aromatic compounds into methyl groups and to produce a hydrogenolysis effluent enriched in methyl-substituted aromatic compounds, wherein the catalyst comprises a support, comprising at least one refractory oxide, and an active phase comprising nickel and molybdenum, wherein: the nickel content being between 0.1 and 25% by weight relative to the total weight of the catalyst; the molybdenum content being between 0.1 and 20% by weight relative to the total weight of the catalyst; and the catalyst comprising a molar ratio of molybdenum to nickel of between 0.2 and 0.9. The present invention also relates to said catalyst and to the process for preparing said catalyst.

The present invention relates to a hydrogenolysis process wherein a hydrocarbon-based feedstock comprising aromatic compounds having at least 8 carbon atoms is treated by means of a hydrogen feed and in the presence of a catalyst, in order to convert C2+ alkyl chains of said aromatic compounds into methyl groups and to produce a hydrogenolysis effluent enriched in methyl-substituted aromatic compounds, wherein the catalyst comprises a support, comprising at least one refractory oxide, and an active phase comprising nickel and molybdenum, wherein: the nickel content being between 0.1 and 25% by weight relative to the total weight of the catalyst; the molybdenum content being between 0.1 and 20% by weight relative to the total weight of the catalyst; and the catalyst comprising a molar ratio of molybdenum to nickel of between 0.2 and 0.9. The present invention also relates to said catalyst and to the process for preparing said catalyst.

Disclosed are a catalyst system and its use in a process for the conversion of a feedstock containing C.sub.8+ aromatic hydrocarbons to produce light aromatic products, comprising benzene, toluene and xylene. The catalyst system comprises (a) a first catalyst bed comprising a first catalyst composition, said first catalyst composition comprising a zeolite having a constraint index of 3 to 12 combined (i) optionally with at least one first metal of Group 10 of the IUPAC Periodic Table, and (ii) optionally with at least one second metal of Group 11 to 15 of the IUPAC Periodic Table; and (b) a second catalyst bed comprising a second catalyst composition, said second catalyst composition comprising (i) a meso-mordenite zeolite, combined (ii) optionally with at least one first metal of Group 10 of the IUPAC Periodic Table, and (iii) optionally with at least one second metal of Group 11 to 15 of the IUPAC Periodic Table, wherein said meso-mordenite zeolite is synthesized from TEA or MTEA and having a mesopore surface area of greater than 30 m.sup.2/g and said meso-mordenite zeolite comprises agglomerates composed of primary crystallites, wherein said primary crystallites have an average primary crystal size as measured by TEM of less than 80 nm and an aspect ratio of less than 2.

Disclosed are a catalyst system and its use in a process for the conversion of a feedstock containing C.sub.8+ aromatic hydrocarbons to produce light aromatic products, comprising benzene, toluene and xylene. The catalyst system comprises (a) a first catalyst bed comprising a first catalyst composition, said first catalyst composition comprising a zeolite having a constraint index of 3 to 12 combined (i) optionally with at least one first metal of Group 10 of the IUPAC Periodic Table, and (ii) optionally with at least one second metal of Group 11 to 15 of the IUPAC Periodic Table; and (b) a second catalyst bed comprising a second catalyst composition, said second catalyst composition comprising (i) a meso-mordenite zeolite, combined (ii) optionally with at least one first metal of Group 10 of the IUPAC Periodic Table, and (iii) optionally with at least one second metal of Group 11 to 15 of the IUPAC Periodic Table, wherein said meso-mordenite zeolite is synthesized from TEA or MTEA and having a mesopore surface area of greater than 30 m.sup.2/g and said meso-mordenite zeolite comprises agglomerates composed of primary crystallites, wherein said primary crystallites have an average primary crystal size as measured by TEM of less than 80 nm and an aspect ratio of less than 2.

In a process for the synthesis of a crystalline molecular sieve material having the EUO framework type, a synthesis mixture is provided suitable for the formation of an EUO framework type molecular sieve and comprising N,N,N,N′,N′,N′-hexamethylhexanediammonium, Q, cations and a colloidal suspension of seed crystals of an EUO framework type molecular sieve. The synthesis mixture is crystallized and an EUO framework type molecular sieve in the form individual crystals and/or aggregates of crystals having an average size, d.sub.50, as measured by laser scattering, of less than 15 μm is recovered from the synthesis mixture.

A method for producing an aromatic hydrocarbon with an oxygenate as raw material, includes: i) reacting an oxygenate in at least one aromatization reactor to obtain an aromatization reaction product; ii) separating the aromatization reaction product to obtain a gas phase hydrocarbons flow X and a liquid phase hydrocarbons flow Y; iii) after removing gas and/or a part of the oxygenate from the gas phase hydrocarbons flow X, a hydrocarbons flow X1 containing a non-aromatic hydrocarbon is obtained; or after removing gas and/or a part of the oxygenate from the gas phase hydrocarbons flow X, a reaction is conducted in another aromatization reactor and a separation is conducted to obtain a flow X2 containing a non-aromatic hydrocarbon and a flow X3 containing an aromatic hydrocarbon. The flows are further treated.

A method for producing an aromatic hydrocarbon with an oxygenate as raw material, includes: i) reacting an oxygenate in at least one aromatization reactor to obtain an aromatization reaction product; ii) separating the aromatization reaction product to obtain a gas phase hydrocarbons flow X and a liquid phase hydrocarbons flow Y; iii) after removing gas and/or a part of the oxygenate from the gas phase hydrocarbons flow X, a hydrocarbons flow X1 containing a non-aromatic hydrocarbon is obtained; or after removing gas and/or a part of the oxygenate from the gas phase hydrocarbons flow X, a reaction is conducted in another aromatization reactor and a separation is conducted to obtain a flow X2 containing a non-aromatic hydrocarbon and a flow X3 containing an aromatic hydrocarbon. The flows are further treated.

The invention relates to a selective hydrogenolysis method for treating a feed rich in aromatic compounds having more than 8 carbon atoms, comprising transforming at least one alkyl group with at least two carbon atoms (ethyl, propyl, butyl, isopropyl, etc.) attached to a benzene ring into at least one methyl group. The invention also relates to the integration of the hydrogenolysis unit into an aromatic complex.

The invention relates to a selective hydrogenolysis method for treating a feed rich in aromatic compounds having more than 8 carbon atoms, comprising transforming at least one alkyl group with at least two carbon atoms (ethyl, propyl, butyl, isopropyl, etc.) attached to a benzene ring into at least one methyl group. The invention also relates to the integration of the hydrogenolysis unit into an aromatic complex.