A process for producing natural gasoline. The process includes increasing the n-pentane concentration of debutanized natural gasoline. The process may include a first concentration process that includes distillation and a second concentration process that includes simulated moving bed adsorption.

A process for producing natural gasoline. The process includes increasing the n-pentane concentration of debutanized natural gasoline. The process may include a first concentration process that includes distillation and a second concentration process that includes simulated moving bed adsorption.

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 for producing natural gasoline. The process includes increasing the n-pentane concentration of debutanized natural gasoline. The process may include a first concentration process that includes distillation and a second concentration process that includes simulated moving bed adsorption.

A process for producing natural gasoline. The process includes increasing the n-pentane concentration of debutanized natural gasoline. The process may include a first concentration process that includes distillation and a second concentration process that includes simulated moving bed adsorption.

Systems and methods are provided for performing multistage naphtha reforming with intermediate separation of aromatics using a swing adsorption process. Use of a swing adsorption process can allow aromatics to be selectively removed from the intermediate reforming effluent while reducing or minimizing the energy costs for cooling and subsequent reheating of the intermediate reforming effluent. The resulting aromatics-rich stream generated from swing adsorption can have a substantially higher aromatics content than an aromatics-rich stream generated by conventional separation methods during multi-stage naphtha reforming. In some aspects, selective thermal purging (either hot or cold) can be used to further facilitate adsorption or desorption of components by the adsorbent in the swing adsorption vessel.

A process for operating a reforming system by operating a reforming section containing a plurality of reactors, wherein each of the plurality of reactors containing a reforming catalyst capable of catalyzing the conversion of at least a portion of the hydrocarbons in a treated hydrocarbon stream into a reactor effluent comprising aromatic hydrocarbons, and operating a sulfur guard bed (SGB) to remove sulfur and sulfur-containing hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon feed to provide the treated hydrocarbon stream, where the SGB contains at least a layer of a SGB catalyst comprising the same catalyst as the reforming catalyst, and where each reactor of the plurality of reactors within the reforming section may be operated at a higher operating temperature than an operating temperature of the SGB. A system for carrying out the process is also provided.

A process for operating a reforming system by operating a reforming section containing a plurality of reactors, wherein each of the plurality of reactors containing a reforming catalyst capable of catalyzing the conversion of at least a portion of the hydrocarbons in a treated hydrocarbon stream into a reactor effluent comprising aromatic hydrocarbons, and operating a sulfur guard bed (SGB) to remove sulfur and sulfur-containing hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon feed to provide the treated hydrocarbon stream, where the SGB contains at least a layer of a SGB catalyst comprising the same catalyst as the reforming catalyst, and where each reactor of the plurality of reactors within the reforming section may be operated at a higher operating temperature than an operating temperature of the SGB. A system for carrying out the process is also provided.