Patent ID: 7304195

Claim:
A process for increasing the production of benzene from a hydrocarbon mixture, comprising the following steps of: separating a hydrocarbon feedstock into a C 6 or lower hydrocarbon stream and a C 7 or higher hydrocarbon stream; separating the C 6 or lower hydrocarbons into a non-aromatic hydrocarbon stream and an aromatic hydrocarbon stream through a solvent extraction process; recovering benzene from the aromatic hydrocarbon stream; feeding the C 7 or higher hydrocarbons and hydrogen into at least one reaction area; converting the C 7 or higher hydrocarbons in the presence of a catalyst in the reaction area into aromatic hydrocarbons which are rich in benzene, toluene, and xylene through dealkylation/transalkylation reactions, and non-aromatic hydrocarbons which are rich in liquefied petroleum gas through a hydrocracking reaction; separating reaction products of the converting step into an overhead stream, which contains hydrogen, methane, ethane, and the liquefied petroleum gas, and a bottom stream, which contains the aromatic hydrocarbons, and a small amount of hydrogen and non-aromatic hydrocarbons, using a gas-liquid separation process; and recovering benzene, toluene, xylene, and C 9 or higher aromatic compounds, respectively from the bottom stream.