Methods and corresponding catalysts are provided for conversion of an aromatics feed containing C.sub.8+ aromatics, particularly C.sub.9+ aromatics, to form a converted product mixture comprising, e.g., benzene and/or xylenes. The aromatic feed can be converted in the presence of a catalyst that includes a mixture of a first zeolite having an MEL framework, such as ZSM-11, and a second zeolite having a MOR framework, such as mordenite, particularly a mordenite synthesized using TEA or MTEA as a structure directing agent. The weight ratio of the first zeolite to the second zeolite in the catalyst can be from 0.3 to 1.2, or from 0.3 to 1.1, or from 0.3 to 1.0. The catalyst can further include one or more metals supported on the catalyst, such as a combination of metals.

Processes for making phenol and xylenes from a phenols-containing feed are described. The processes involve transalkylation of alkylphenols to form phenol and alkylbenzenes. The phenol is separated from the alkylbenzenes, and the alkylbenzenes may be separated into benzene, toluene, xylenes, and heavy alkylbenzene streams. The benzene stream may be recycled to the transalkylation reaction zone. The toluene may be sent to a disproportionation reaction zone, and the product is sent back to the aromatic separation zone. The toluene can also be recycled to the transalkylation zone. The xylenes are separated into a p-xylene stream and a mixed xylene stream comprising m-xylene and o-xylene. The mixed xylene stream is isomerized and the isomerized product is sent back to the aromatic separation zone. The heavy alkylbenzenes are dealkylated and separated, with the aromatic stream being recycled to the aromatic separation zone.

A transalkylation process co-feeds benzene at a relatively high proportion with C9+ aromatics in a feed stream to a transalkylation reactor. At lower proportions (≤5 wt %) of benzene, ring loss is greater for benzene than toluene and ring loss is increased by increasing the proportion of benzene in the feed stream. When the benzene is co-fed in a proportion sufficiently greater than 5 weight percent of the feed stream, ring loss is unexpectedly reduced.

A catalyst composition comprising (a) carrier comprising (i) 5 to 95 wt % mordenite type zeolite having a mean crystallite length parallel to the direction of the 12-ring channels of 60 nm or less and a mesopore volume of at least 0.10 cc/gram, (ii) 5 to 95 wt % ZSM-5 type zeolite; and (iii) 10 to 60 wt % inorganic binder; and (b) 0.001 to 10 wt % of one or more catalytically active metals, wherein the inorganic binder comprises titania, its preparation and its use in alkylaromatic conversion.

Methods for removing impurities from a hydrocarbon stream using a guard bed material are disclosed. The guard bed material includes compositions which comprises a zeolite and a mesoporous support or binder. The zeolite has a Constraint Index of less than 3. The mesoporous support or binder comprises a mesoporous metal oxide having a particle diameter of greater than or equal to 20 μm at 50% of the cumulative pore size distribution (d.sub.50), a pore volume of less than 1 cc/g, and an alumina content of greater than 75%, by weight. Also disclosed are processes for producing mono-alkylated aromatic compounds (e.g., ethylbenzene or cumene) using impure feed streams that are treated by the disclosed methods to remove impurities which act as catalyst poisons to downstream alkylation and/or transalkylation catalysts.

Relatively low value disulfide oil (DSO) compounds produced as by-products of the mercaptan oxidation (MEROX) processing of refinery hydrocarbon streams, and oxidized disulfide oils (ODSO), are economically converted to value-added BTX by introducing the DSO and/or ODSO compounds as the feed to a fluidized catalytic cracking (FCC) unit and recovering the liquid products. The liquid FCC products are introduced as the feedstream to a selective naphtha hydrogenation and hydrotreating process for desulfurization and are then further separated in an aromatics extraction process for the recovery of BTX.

A method for producing xylene, including a conversion reaction step of bringing a raw material containing a light hydrocarbon having 2 to 7 carbon atoms as a main component into contact with a crystalline aluminosilicate-containing catalyst to produce a product containing a monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbon having 6 to 8 carbon atoms and a xylene conversion step of subjecting the product to a disproportionation reaction or a transalkylation reaction.

A method for producing xylene, including a conversion reaction step of bringing a raw material containing a light hydrocarbon having 2 to 7 carbon atoms as a main component into contact with a crystalline aluminosilicate-containing catalyst to produce a product containing a monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbon having 6 to 8 carbon atoms and a xylene conversion step of subjecting the product to a disproportionation reaction or a transalkylation reaction.

A method for producing xylene, including a conversion reaction step of bringing a raw material containing a light hydrocarbon having 2 to 7 carbon atoms as a main component into contact with a crystalline aluminosilicate-containing catalyst to produce a product containing a monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbon having 6 to 8 carbon atoms and a xylene conversion step of subjecting the product to a disproportionation reaction or a transalkylation reaction.

Method of making BTX compounds including benzene, toluene, and xylene, including feeding heavy reformate to a reactor containing a composite zeolite catalyst. The composite zeolite catalyst includes a mixture of layered mordenite (MOR-L) comprising a layered or rod-type morphology with a layer thickness less than 30 nm and ZSM-5. The MOR-L, the ZSM-5, or both include one or more impregnated metals. The method further includes producing the BTX compounds by simultaneously performing transalkylation and dealkylation of the heavy reformate in the reactor. The composite zeolite catalyst is able to simultaneously catalyze both the transalkylation and dealkylation reactions.