A hydrocarbon conversion process is described. The process includes contacting in a reactor an inert gas with one or more catalyst compositions suitable for methylation of toluene and hydrogenation of phenol; contacting a reducing agent with the one or more catalyst compositions under conditions suitable for reducing metal oxide content of the catalyst composition; contacting at least part of toluene and/or benzene-containing with a oxygenate in the presence of the one or more catalyst compositions and under conditions effective to convert toluene to xylenes and produce a reactor effluent stream comprising para-xylene and having a lower concentration of phenol than the toluene-containing stream; separating at least one para-xylene-enriched stream from the reactor effluent stream; and separating from the at least one para-xylene enriched stream at least one toluene-enriched stream and at least one para-xylene-product stream. An apparatus for carrying out such a process is also described.

Disclosed are processes for making cyclohexanone from a feed mixture comprising cyclohexylbenzene, cyclohexanone, phenol, 3-cylclohexenone and optionally 2-cyclohexenone, comprising feeding the feed mixture to a first distillation column and hydrogenating a fraction from the first distillation column in a hydrogenation reactor separate from the first distillation in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst under hydrogenation conditions. A cyclohexanone-rich upper effluent comprising 3-cyclohexenone and 2-cyclohexenone at low concentrations can be obtained from the first distillation column.

Disclosed are processes for making cyclohexanone from a feed mixture comprising cyclohexylbenzene, cyclohexanone, phenol, 3-cylclohexenone and optionally 2-cyclohexenone, comprising feeding the feed mixture to a first distillation column and hydrogenating a fraction from the first distillation column in a hydrogenation reactor separate from the first distillation in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst under hydrogenation conditions. A cyclohexanone-rich upper effluent comprising 3-cyclohexenone and 2-cyclohexenone at low concentrations can be obtained from the first distillation column.

Disclosed are a process for abating 3-cyclohexenone from a feed mixture comprising 3-cylclohexenone and cyclohexanone, comprising a hydrogenation step of contacting the feed mixture with hydrogen in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst under hydrogenation conditions to obtain a hydrogenated mixture, cyclohexanone-containing products comprising 3-cyclohexenone and/or 2-cyclohexenone at low concentrations, and compositions of matter useful for making such cyclohexanone-containing products, particularly by using such processes.

Disclosed are a process for abating 3-cyclohexenone from a feed mixture comprising 3-cylclohexenone and cyclohexanone, comprising a hydrogenation step of contacting the feed mixture with hydrogen in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst under hydrogenation conditions to obtain a hydrogenated mixture, cyclohexanone-containing products comprising 3-cyclohexenone and/or 2-cyclohexenone at low concentrations, and compositions of matter useful for making such cyclohexanone-containing products, particularly by using such processes.

Disclosed are processes for making such cyclohexanone compositions from a mixture comprising phenol, cyclohexanone, and cyclohexylbenzene. Such cyclohexanone compositions comprise at least 99 wt % cyclohexanone, at most 0.15 wt % water, and at most 500 wppm combined of certain cyclohexanone impurities selected from the group consisting of: benzene, cyclohexene, pentanal, cyclopentanol, cyclohexanol, and phenol.

Disclosed are processes for making such cyclohexanone compositions from a mixture comprising phenol, cyclohexanone, and cyclohexylbenzene. Such cyclohexanone compositions comprise at least 99 wt % cyclohexanone, at most 0.15 wt % water, and at most 500 wppm combined of certain cyclohexanone impurities selected from the group consisting of: benzene, cyclohexene, pentanal, cyclopentanol, cyclohexanol, and phenol.

Provided is a method of hydrogenation comprising forming a reaction mixture comprising (a) one or more reactant selected from the group consisting of phenol, one or more derivatives of phenol, and mixtures thereof; (b) hydrogen; and (c) catalyst, wherein the catalyst comprises beads that comprise one or more acid-functional organic resin and one or more metal selected from the group consisting of palladium, platinum, silver, gold, rhodium, ruthenium, copper, iridium, and mixtures thereof.

Provided is a method of hydrogenation comprising forming a reaction mixture comprising (a) one or more reactant selected from the group consisting of phenol, one or more derivatives of phenol, and mixtures thereof; (b) hydrogen; and (c) catalyst, wherein the catalyst comprises beads that comprise one or more acid-functional organic resin and one or more metal selected from the group consisting of palladium, platinum, silver, gold, rhodium, ruthenium, copper, iridium, and mixtures thereof.

Disclosed are processes for making such cyclohexanone compositions from a mixture comprising phenol, cyclohexanone, and cyclohexylbenzene. Such cyclohexanone compositions comprise at least 99 wt % cyclohexanone, at most 0.15 wt % water, and at most 500 wppm combined of certain cyclohexanone impurities selected from the group consisting of: benzene, cyclohexene, pentanal, cyclopentanol, cyclohexanol, and phenol.