Patent ID: 6875339

Claim:
A method for improving the octane number of a synthetic naphtha stream, comprising: (A) providing a hydrocarbon feedstream comprising primarily C 4 -C 8 acyclic hydrocarbons, wherein the hydrocarbon feedstream has an octane number and is derived from a hydrocarbon synthesis process; (B) reacting the hydrocarbon feedstream under aromatization promoting conditions so as to convert at least some of the acyclic hydrocarbons to aromatic hydrocarbons and generate a cyclized hydrocarbon stream, wherein the cyclized hydrocarbon stream includes said aromatic hydrocarbons and unconverted acyclic hydrocarbons; and (C) reacting the cyclized hydrocarbon stream under isomerization promoting conditions so as to convert at least some of the unconverted acyclic hydrocarbons to branched hydrocarbons and generate a cyclized, isomerized hydrocarbon stream, wherein the cyclized, isomerized hydrocarbon stream includes aromatic hydrocarbons and branched hydrocarbons, and has an octane number greater than the octane number of the hydrocarbon feedstream.