Patent ID: 6972347

Claim:
A method for converting a crude starting material comprising 5 to 80% by weight of benzene, other aromatic hydrocarbons and non-aromatic compounds in an amount of at least about 10% by weight to useful C7 and C8 aromatic hydrocarbons comprising: (A) lowering the content of said non-aromatic compounds by distillation to produce a material having a non-aromatic compound content of about 0.1% by weight or less, and (B) reacting said material having a non-aromatic compound content of about 0.1% by weight or less in the presence of hydrogen and a catalyst containing H-type synthetic mordenite and between about 0.02 to 2% by weight rhenium at a pressure of from 0.1 to 100 MPa and a temperature of from 200 to 650° C. to diminish the benzene content of said material having a non-aromatic compound content of about 0.1% by weight or less and convert at least a portion of said material having a non-aromatic compound content of about 0.1% by weight or less into C7 or C8 aromatic hydrocarbons wherein said aromatic hydrocarbon conversion reaction is transalkylation reducing benzene content and C9 content to increase the contents of xylene and toluene in the product.