Disclosed herein are processes for producing neopentane. The processes generally relate to demethylating neohexane and/or neoheptane to produce neopentane. The neohexane and/or neoheptane may be provided by the isomerization of C.sub.6-C.sub.7 paraffins.

Processes and apparatus for isomerizing hydrocarbons are provided. The process comprises isomerizing at least a portion of the hydrocarbon feed stream comprising at least one of C.sub.4 to C.sub.7 hydrocarbons in the presence of an isomerization catalyst and hydrogen under isomerization conditions to produce a isomerized stream. The isomerized stream is stabilized in a stabilizer to provide a stabilizer off-gas stream comprising chlorides and a liquid isomerate stream. At least a portion of the stabilizer off-gas stream is contacted with an exchange stream to provide an absorber overhead stream and absorber bottoms stream comprising chlorides. The absorber bottoms stream is passed to the isomerization reactor. The liquid isomerate stream is passed to a deisohexanizer column to provide an isomerate product and deisohexanizer side stream.

Methods for utilizing carbon dioxide to produce multi-carbon products are disclosed. The systems and methods of the present disclosure involve: reducing CO.sub.2 to produce a first product mixture comprising an alcohol product mixture comprising one or more alcohols and a paraffin product mixture comprising one or more paraffins; dehydrating the alcohol product mixture to form an olefin product mixture comprising one or more olefins; oligomerizing the olefin product mixture to form a higher olefin product mixture comprising unsaturated paraffins and optionally aromatics; and reducing the higher olefin product mixture to form a higher hydrocarbon product mixture comprising unsaturated paraffins and optionally aromatics. Catalyst materials and reaction conditions for individual steps are disclosed to optimize yield for ethanol or jet fuel range hydrocarbons.

Processes and apparatuses for isomerizing hydrocarbons are provided. In an embodiment, a process for isomerizing hydrocarbons includes providing a first hydrocarbon feed that includes hydrocarbons having from 5 to 7 carbon atoms. The first hydrocarbon feed is fractionated to produce a first separated stream that includes hydrocarbons having from 5 to 6 carbon atoms and a second separated stream that includes hydrocarbons having 7 carbon atoms. The first separated stream is contacted with a benzene saturation catalyst at benzene saturation conditions to produce an intermediate stream and subsequently isomerized in the presence of a first isomerization catalyst and hydrogen under first isomerization conditions to produce a first isomerized stream. The second separated stream is isomerized in the presence of a second isomerization catalyst and hydrogen under second isomerization conditions that are different from the first isomerization conditions to produce a second isomerized stream.

Para-xylene is separated from a mixture of C8 aromatics using a simulated moving bed (SMB) adsorption process, wherein a MOF is used as an adsorbent and an alkane or alkene having 7 or less carbon atoms, such as hexane or heptane is used as desorbent. Because of the difference in boiling points of a hexane or heptane desorbent as compared to conventional desorbents such as toluene or para-diethylbenzene, less energy is required to separate hexane or heptane from C8 aromatics by distillation than the energy required to separate toluene or diethylbenzene from C8 aromatics by distillation.

Disclosed is a process for recovering paraxylene in which a first simulated moving bed adsorption unit is used to produce two extract streamsone rich in paraxylene and a paraxylene-rich extract stream that is lean in ethylbenzene and an ethylbenzene-rich extract stream that is lean in paraxylene- and a paraxylene-depleted raffinate stream. A significant amount of the ethylbenzene is removed in the ethylbenzene-rich extract stream (at least enough to limit buildup in the isomerization loop), so the paraxylene-depleted raffinate stream may be isomerized in the liquid phase. Avoiding vapor phase isomerization saves energy and capital, as liquid phase isomerization requires less energy and capital than the vapor phase isomerization process due to the requirement of vaporizing the paraxylene-depleted stream and the use of hydrogen, which requires an energy and capital intensive hydrogen recycle loop.

Disclosed is a process for recovering paraxylene in which a first simulated moving bed adsorption unit is used to produce two extract streamsone rich in paraxylene and a paraxylene-rich extract stream that is lean in ethylbenzene and an ethylbenzene-rich extract stream that is lean in paraxylene- and a paraxylene-depleted raffinate stream. A significant amount of the ethylbenzene is removed in the ethylbenzene-rich extract stream (at least enough to limit buildup in the isomerization loop), so the paraxylene-depleted raffinate stream may be isomerized in the liquid phase. Avoiding vapor phase isomerization saves energy and capital, as liquid phase isomerization requires less energy and capital than the vapor phase isomerization process due to the requirement of vaporizing the paraxylene-depleted stream and the use of hydrogen, which requires an energy and capital intensive hydrogen recycle loop.

Disclosed herein are processes for producing neopentane. The processes generally relate to demethylating neohexane and/or neoheptane to produce neopentane. The neohexane and/or neoheptane may be provided by the isomerization of C.sub.6-C.sub.7 paraffins.

Processes and apparatus for isomerizing hydrocarbons are provided. The process comprises isomerizing at least a portion of the hydrocarbon feed stream comprising at least one of C.sub.4 to C.sub.7 hydrocarbons in the presence of an isomerization catalyst and hydrogen under isomerization conditions to produce a isomerized stream. The isomerized stream is stabilized in a stabilizer to provide a stabilizer off-gas stream comprising chlorides and a liquid isomerate stream. At least a portion of the stabilizer off-gas stream is contacted with an exchange stream to provide an absorber overhead stream and absorber bottoms stream comprising chlorides. The absorber bottoms stream is passed to the isomerization reactor. The liquid isomerate stream is passed to a deisohexanizer column to provide an isomerate product and deisohexanizer side stream.

This present disclosure relates to processes and apparatuses for toluene methylation in an aromatics complex for producing paraxylene. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to processes and apparatuses wherein a toluene methylation zone is integrated within an aromatics complex for producing paraxylene thus allowing no benzene byproduct to be produced. This may be accomplished by incorporating a toluene methylation process into the aromatics complex and recycling the benzene to the transalkylation unit the aromatics complex.