Systems and methods are provided for forming para-xylene from aromatics-containing streams having reduced or minimized amounts of C.sub.2+ side chains. Reduced or minimized amounts of C.sub.2+ side chains can provide benefits for improving and/or allowing modification of transalkylation conditions, xylene isomerization conditions, or a combination thereof. Such aromatics-containing streams can be formed, for example, by conversion of methyl halide, methanol, syngas, and/or dimethyl ether to aromatics by an aromatic conversion process. The methyl halide, methanol, syngas, and/or dimethyl ether can be formed by conversion of methane.

A method of producing p-xylene comprising the steps of separating the reformate feed in the reformate splitter to produce a benzene stream, a combined heavy stream, a xylene stream, and a toluene stream, converting the C9+ aromatic hydrocarbons in the presence of a dealkylation catalyst in the dealkylation reactor to produce a dealkylation effluent, separating the dealkylation effluent in the dealkylation splitter to produce a C9 stream and a C10+ stream, reacting the C9 stream, the toluene stream, the benzene stream, and the hydrogen stream in the presence of a transalkylation catalyst in the transalkylation reactor to produce a transalkylation effluent, separating the p-xylenes from the xylene stream in the p-xylene separation unit to produce a p-xylene product and a p-xylene depleted stream, converting the m-xylene and o-xylene in the p-xylene depleted stream in the isomerization unit to produce an isomerization effluent.

A method of producing p-xylene comprising the steps of separating the reformate feed in the reformate splitter to produce a benzene stream, a combined heavy stream, a xylene stream, and a toluene stream, converting the C9+ aromatic hydrocarbons in the presence of a dealkylation catalyst in the dealkylation reactor to produce a dealkylation effluent, separating the dealkylation effluent in the dealkylation splitter to produce a C9 stream and a C10+ stream, reacting the C9 stream, the toluene stream, the benzene stream, and the hydrogen stream in the presence of a transalkylation catalyst in the transalkylation reactor to produce a transalkylation effluent, separating the p-xylenes from the xylene stream in the p-xylene separation unit to produce a p-xylene product and a p-xylene depleted stream, converting the m-xylene and o-xylene in the p-xylene depleted stream in the isomerization unit to produce an isomerization effluent.

A method of producing p-xylene, the method comprising the steps of converting the C9+ aromatic hydrocarbons and the hydrogen gas in the presence of a dealkylation catalyst to produce a dealkylation effluent, separating the dealkylation effluent to produce a carbon-nine (C9) aromatics stream, a xylene stream, and a toluene stream, separating the p-xylenes from the xylene stream in the p-xylene separation unit to produce a p-xylene product and a p-xylene depleted stream, converting the m-xylene and o-xylene in the p-xylene depleted stream in the isomerization unit to produce an isomerization effluent, reacting the C9 aromatics stream and the hydrogen stream in the presence of a transalkylation catalyst in the transalkylation reactor to produce a transalkylation effluent, separating the C6 to C9+ aromatic hydrocarbons in the isomerization effluent and the transalkylation effluent in the splitter column to produce a benzene recycle, a toluene recycle, a xylene recycle and a C9+ recycle.

A method of producing p-xylene, the method comprising the steps of converting the C9+ aromatic hydrocarbons and the hydrogen gas in the presence of a dealkylation catalyst to produce a dealkylation effluent, separating the dealkylation effluent to produce a carbon-nine (C9) aromatics stream, a xylene stream, and a toluene stream, separating the p-xylenes from the xylene stream in the p-xylene separation unit to produce a p-xylene product and a p-xylene depleted stream, converting the m-xylene and o-xylene in the p-xylene depleted stream in the isomerization unit to produce an isomerization effluent, reacting the C9 aromatics stream and the hydrogen stream in the presence of a transalkylation catalyst in the transalkylation reactor to produce a transalkylation effluent, separating the C6 to C9+ aromatic hydrocarbons in the isomerization effluent and the transalkylation effluent in the splitter column to produce a benzene recycle, a toluene recycle, a xylene recycle and a C9+ recycle.

Processes and apparatuses for producing para-xylenes are provided. The processes comprises providing a hydrocarbon stream comprising C7+ hydrocarbons. The hydrocarbon stream is separated to provide a C8 aromatics stream and an ortho-xylene rich stream. The C8 aromatics stream is passed to a para-xylene separation unit for separating para-xylene to provide a para-xylene stream and a raffinate stream. At least a portion of the raffinate stream is passed to a first isomerization unit to provide a first isomerization effluent, wherein the first isomerization effluent is produced in the presence of an ethylbenzene (EB) isomerization catalyst. At least a portion of the ortho-xylene rich stream is contacted with an isomerization catalyst in a second isomerization unit in liquid phase at isomerization conditions in substantial absence of hydrogen to produce a second isomerization effluent.

Processes and apparatuses for producing para-xylenes are provided. The processes comprises providing a hydrocarbon stream comprising C7+ hydrocarbons. The hydrocarbon stream is separated to provide a C8 aromatics stream and an ortho-xylene rich stream. The C8 aromatics stream is passed to a para-xylene separation unit for separating para-xylene to provide a para-xylene stream and a raffinate stream. At least a portion of the raffinate stream is passed to a first isomerization unit to provide a first isomerization effluent, wherein the first isomerization effluent is produced in the presence of an ethylbenzene (EB) isomerization catalyst. At least a portion of the ortho-xylene rich stream is contacted with an isomerization catalyst in a second isomerization unit in liquid phase at isomerization conditions in substantial absence of hydrogen to produce a second isomerization effluent.

Para-xylene production processes are disclosed, with such processes being integrated with extractive distillation or other separation to effectively separate, for example to remove and recover, ethylbenzene and other components that co-boil with the isomers of xylene. This allows for xylene isomerization, downstream of the separation of para-xylene from its other isomers, to be operated under milder conditions (e.g., liquid phase, absence of added hydrogen) without the need for ethylbenzene conversion. The associated decreased yields of byproducts such as light gases and non-aromatic hydrocarbons, together with the generation of purified ethylbenzene having value for styrene monomer production, can significantly improve overall process economics.

A process for producing benzene and xylenes comprising introducing hydrocarbon liquid stream to hydroprocessor to yield first gas stream and hydrocarbon product (C.sub.5+); optionally introducing hydrocarbon product to first aromatics separating unit to produce saturated hydrocarbons (C.sub.5+) and first aromatics stream (C.sub.6+); feeding hydrocarbon product and/or saturated hydrocarbons to reformer to produce reformer product, second gas stream, and hydrogen stream; introducing reformer product to second aromatics separating unit to produce a non-aromatics recycle stream and second aromatics stream comprising C.sub.6+ aromatics; recycling non-aromatics recycle stream to reformer; introducing first aromatics stream and/or second aromatics stream to third aromatics separating unit to produce first C.sub.6 aromatics (benzene), C.sub.7 aromatics (toluene), C.sub.8 aromatics (xylenes&ethylbenzene), C.sub.9

Embodiments include processes and systems for maximizing the production of benzene and para-xylene from heavy reformate. Embodiments include a C9 dealkylation reactor, a transalkylation reactor, and a C10+ dealkylation reactor. The process and system for producing benzene and para-xylene may be configured to additionally produce alkanes in the presence of hydrogen or olefins in the absence of hydrogen. Embodiments may include an aromatic extraction unit to separate non-aromatics from aromatics.