A process for recovering aromatic hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon feed mixture comprising a (i) full-range feedstock that includes C 6 -C 8 aromatic hydrocarbons comprising benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes and C 6 -C 8 non-aromatic hydrocarbons comprising paraffins, naphthenes and olefins or (ii) a narrow-range feedstock that includes C 6 -C 7 aromatic hydrocarbons comprising benzene, toluene and less than 2% C 8 aromatic hydrocarbons and C 6 -C 7 non-aromatic hydrocarbons comprising paraffins, naphthenes, and olefins which process comprises the steps of: (a) introducing a feed containing aromatic and non-aromatic hydrocarbons (HCs) into a middle portion of an extractive distillation column and introducing a first solvent-rich stream comprising an extractive distillation solvent and water into an upper portion of the EDC; (b) withdrawing a non-aromatic HC-rich stream from a top of the EDC and recovering a second solvent-rich stream from a bottom of the EDC; (c) mixing a third solvent-rich stream with the non-aromatic HC-rich stream in a static mixer or a multi-stage contactor to form a mixture that is introduced into a separator vessel where the mixture separates into a solvent phase and a raffinate phase; (d) recycling the solvent phase, which contains benzene, to a lower portion of the EDC; (e) washing a first portion of the raffinate in water wash column (WWC 45) to yield a raffinate product and recycling a second portion of the raffinate to a top of the EDC as a reflux; (f) introducing the second solvent-rich stream into a middle portion of a solvent recovery column, recovering an aromatic HC-rich stream from a top of the SRC, and removing a fourth solvent-rich stream from a bottom of the SRC; (g) diverting a major portion of the fourth solvent-rich stream from the bottom the SRC as the first solvent-rich stream that is introduced into an upper portion of the EDC, diverting a first minor portion of the fourth solvent-rich stream as a third solvent-rich stream which is mixed with the non-aromatic HC-rich stream in step (b), and diverting a second minor portion of the fourth solvent-rich stream as a fifth solvent-rich stream which is introduced into an upper portion of a thermal solvent regeneration zone; and (h) removing sludge from a lower portion of the thermal solvent regeneration zone and recovering a sixth solvent-rich stream from a top of the thermal solvent regeneration zone and recycling the sixth solvent-rich stream to a lower portion of the SRC. (a) introducing a feed containing aromatic and non-aromatic hydrocarbons (HCs) into a middle portion of an extractive distillation column and introducing a first solvent-rich stream comprising an extractive distillation solvent and water into an upper portion of the EDC; (b) withdrawing a non-aromatic HC-rich stream from a top of the EDC and recovering a second solvent-rich stream from a bottom of the EDC; (c) mixing a third solvent-rich stream with the non-aromatic HC-rich stream in a static mixer or a multi-stage contactor to form a mixture that is introduced into a separator vessel where the mixture separates into a solvent phase and a raffinate phase; (d) recycling the solvent phase, which contains benzene, to a lower portion of the EDC; (e) washing a first portion of the raffinate in water wash column (WWC 45) to yield a raffinate product and recycling a second portion of the raffinate to a top of the EDC as a reflux; (f) introducing the second solvent-rich stream into a middle portion of a solvent recovery column, recovering an aromatic HC-rich stream from a top of the SRC, and removing a fourth solvent-rich stream from a bottom of the SRC; (g) diverting a major portion of the fourth solvent-rich stream from the bottom the SRC as the first solvent-rich stream that is introduced into an upper portion of the EDC, diverting a first minor portion of the fourth solvent-rich stream as a third solvent-rich stream which is mixed with the non-aromatic HC-rich stream in step (b), and diverting a second minor portion of the fourth solvent-rich stream as a fifth solvent-rich stream which is introduced into an upper portion of a thermal solvent regeneration zone; and (h) removing sludge from a lower portion of the thermal solvent regeneration zone and recovering a sixth solvent-rich stream from a top of the thermal solvent regeneration zone and recycling the sixth solvent-rich stream to a lower portion of the SRC.