Embodiments relate generally to systems and method for processing tars to produce benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX). A method for processing tars may comprise distilling the tars to separate creosotes and pitch; and processing the pitch via hydropyrolysis, including both hydrogenation and hydrocracking functions, to remove heteroatoms and break down polyaromatics in the pitch and produce monoaromatics, such as BTX. A system for processing tars may comprise one or more of the following: an input stream comprising tars feeding into a column; the column configured to separate the tars into one or more creosote streams and a pitch stream; and a reactor (or a series of reactors, or beds within a single reactor), wherein the pitch stream is fed to the reactor along with a stream of hydrogen, wherein the reactor is configured to break down the pitch to produce BTX.

Processes and apparatuses for producing a C.sub.8 aromatic isomer product are provided. The process comprises introducing a reformate stream comprising aromatic hydrocarbons to a reformate splitter column to provide a plurality of streams. One or more streams comprising at least one stream from the plurality of streams is passed to a reformate upgrading unit to obtain an upgraded reformate stream. The upgraded reformate stream is passed to an aromatics stripper column to provide an aromatics stripper sidedraw stream comprising C.sub.8 aromatic hydrocarbons. The aromatics stripper sidedraw stream is passed to a xylene separation unit to provide the C.sub.8 aromatic isomer product and a raffinate product stream. At least a portion of the raffinate product stream is processed in a liquid phase isomerization unit to obtain an isomerized stream.

Processes and apparatuses for producing a C.sub.8 aromatic isomer product are provided. The process comprises introducing a reformate stream comprising aromatic hydrocarbons to a reformate splitter column to provide a plurality of streams. One or more streams comprising at least one stream from the plurality of streams is passed to a reformate upgrading unit to obtain an upgraded reformate stream. The upgraded reformate stream is passed to an aromatics stripper column to provide an aromatics stripper sidedraw stream comprising C.sub.8 aromatic hydrocarbons. The aromatics stripper sidedraw stream is passed to a xylene separation unit to provide the C.sub.8 aromatic isomer product and a raffinate product stream. At least a portion of the raffinate product stream is processed in a liquid phase isomerization unit to obtain an isomerized stream.

A process is described for producing paraxylene, in which an aromatic hydrocarbon feedstock comprising benzene and/or toluene is contacted with an alkylating reagent comprising methanol and/or dimethyl ether in an alkylation reaction zone under alkylation conditions in the presence of an alkylation catalyst to produce an alkylated aromatic product comprising xylenes. The alkylation catalyst comprises a molecular sieve having a Constraint Index≤5, and the alkylation conditions comprise a temperature less than 500° C. The alkylation catalyst may be selectivated to produce a higher than equilibrium amount of paraxylene by using a molar ratio of alkylating agent to aromatic of at least 1:4.

A process is described for producing paraxylene, in which an aromatic hydrocarbon feedstock comprising benzene and/or toluene is contacted with an alkylating reagent comprising methanol and/or dimethyl ether in an alkylation reaction zone under alkylation conditions in the presence of an alkylation catalyst to produce an alkylated aromatic product comprising xylenes. The alkylation catalyst comprises a molecular sieve having a Constraint Index≤5, and the alkylation conditions comprise a temperature less than 500° C. The alkylation catalyst may be selectivated to produce a higher than equilibrium amount of paraxylene by using a molar ratio of alkylating agent to aromatic of at least 1:4.

The present disclosure relates to a material preferably used in a guard bed, and having an increased capacity to adsorb catalyst poisons, as measured by collidine update at 200° C. The material is made by a method in which it is treated by being dried with a drying gas, preferably, at a temperature greater than about 200° C. The treated material may be used to remove impurities from untreated feed streams to, for example, aromatic alkylation and transalkylation processes, where such impurities act as catalyst poisons that cause deactivation of the acidic molecular sieve-based catalysts used, thereby increasing the cycle length of such catalysts.

The present disclosure relates to a material preferably used in a guard bed, and having an increased capacity to adsorb catalyst poisons, as measured by collidine update at 200° C. The material is made by a method in which it is treated by being dried with a drying gas, preferably, at a temperature greater than about 200° C. The treated material may be used to remove impurities from untreated feed streams to, for example, aromatic alkylation and transalkylation processes, where such impurities act as catalyst poisons that cause deactivation of the acidic molecular sieve-based catalysts used, thereby increasing the cycle length of such catalysts.

The invention relates to the field of gas chemistry and, more specifically, to methods and devices for producing aromatic hydrocarbons from natural gas, which involve producing synthesis gas, converting same into methanol producing, from the methanol, in the presence of a catalyst, a concentrate of aromatic hydrocarbons and water, separating the water, air stripping hydrocarbon residues from the water, and separating-out the resultant concentrate of aromatic hydrocarbons and hydrogen-containing gas, the latter being at least partially used in the production of synthesis gas to adjust the ratio therein of H.sub.2:CO 1.8-2.3:1, and can be used for producing aromatic hydrocarbons. According to the invention, the production of aromatic hydrocarbons from methanol in the presence of a catalyst is carried out in two consecutively-connected reactors for synthesizing aromatic hydrocarbons: in a first, low-temperature isothermal reactor for synthesizing aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons, and in a second, high-temperature adiabatic reactor for synthesizing aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons from aliphatic hydrocarbons formed in the first reactor, and the subsequent stabilization thereof in an aromatic hydrocarbon concentrate stabilization unit. At least a portion of the hydrogen-containing gas is fed to a synthesis gas production unit and is used for producing synthesis gas using autothermal reforming technology. The installation carries out the method. The achieved technical result consists in increasing the efficiency of producing concentrates of aromatic hydrocarbons.

The invention relates to the field of gas chemistry and, more specifically, to methods and devices for producing aromatic hydrocarbons from natural gas, which involve producing synthesis gas, converting same into methanol producing, from the methanol, in the presence of a catalyst, a concentrate of aromatic hydrocarbons and water, separating the water, air stripping hydrocarbon residues from the water, and separating-out the resultant concentrate of aromatic hydrocarbons and hydrogen-containing gas, the latter being at least partially used in the production of synthesis gas to adjust the ratio therein of H.sub.2:CO 1.8-2.3:1, and can be used for producing aromatic hydrocarbons. According to the invention, the production of aromatic hydrocarbons from methanol in the presence of a catalyst is carried out in two consecutively-connected reactors for synthesizing aromatic hydrocarbons: in a first, low-temperature isothermal reactor for synthesizing aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons, and in a second, high-temperature adiabatic reactor for synthesizing aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons from aliphatic hydrocarbons formed in the first reactor, and the subsequent stabilization thereof in an aromatic hydrocarbon concentrate stabilization unit. At least a portion of the hydrogen-containing gas is fed to a synthesis gas production unit and is used for producing synthesis gas using autothermal reforming technology. The installation carries out the method. The achieved technical result consists in increasing the efficiency of producing concentrates of aromatic hydrocarbons.

Catalysts and method of preparing the catalysts are disclosed. One of the catalysts includes a zeolite support, a Group VIII metal on the zeolite support, and at least two halides bound to the zeolite support, to the Group VIII metal, or to both, and can have an average crush strength greater than 11.25 lb based on at least two samples of pellets of the catalyst measured in accordance with ASTM D4179.