Process for producing benzene from C5-C12 hydrocarbon mixture

• Main Authors: Prashant, Kumar, van Iersel, Maikel, Fickel, Dustin, Farrokhpanah, Sonia, Hall, Stephen
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 06.10.2020
• Subjects: ACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS; CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOIDCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; METALLURGY; MINERAL WAXES; ORGANIC CHEMISTRY; PEAT; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVEHYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION; RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, ORGASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS; TRANSPORTING

The present invention relates to a process for producing benzene comprising the steps of: a) separating a source feedstream comprising C5-C12 hydrocarbons including benzene and alkylbenzenes into a first feedstream comprising a higher proportion of benzene than the source feedstream and a second feedstream comprising a lower proportion of benzene than the source feedstream and subsequently, b) contacting the first feedstream in the presence of hydrogen with a first hydrocracking catalyst comprising 0.01-1 wt-% hydrogenation metal in relation to the total catalyst weight and a zeolite having a pore size of 5-8 Å and a silica (SiO2) to alumina (Al2O3) molar ratio of 5-200 under first process conditions to produce a first product stream comprising benzene, wherein the first process conditions include a temperature of 425-580° C., a pressure of 300-5000 kPa gauge and a Weight Hourly Space Velocity of 0.1-15 h−1, and c) contacting the second feedstream with hydrogen under second process conditions to produce a second product stream comprising benzene, wherein i) the second process conditions are suitable for hydrocracking and step (c) involves contacting the second feedstream in the presence of hydrogen with a second hydrocracking catalyst comprising 0.01-1 wt-% hydrogenation metal in relation to the total catalyst weight and a zeolite having a pore size of 5-8 Å and a silica (SiO2) to alumina (Al2O3) molar ratio of 5-200 under the second process conditions which include a temperature of 300-600° C., a pressure of 300-5000 kPa gauge and a Weight Hourly space Velocity of 0.1-15 h−1, ii) the second process conditions are suitable for toluene disproportionation and involve contracting the second feedstream with a toluene disproportionation catalyst, or iii) the second process conditions are suitable for hydrodealkylation.