Patent ID: 8431758

Claim:
A process for increasing overall aromatics and xylenes yield in an aromatics complex, the process comprising the steps of: separating a C 8 + aromatics stream from an aromatics-rich reformate into a C 8 aromatics fraction and a C 9 + aromatics fraction comprising higher alkyl group-substituted C 9 and C 10 aromatics; separating the C 9 + aromatics fraction into a lighter boiling, higher alkyl group-substituted C 9 or C 9 /C 10 aromatics fraction and a heavier boiling, C 10 + or C 11 + aromatics fraction; isomerizing the lighter boiling, higher alkyl group-substituted C 9 or C 9 /C 10 aromatics fraction to convert a portion of the higher alkyl group-substituted C 9 or C 9 /C 10 aromatics therein into methyl-enriched C 9 or C 9 /C 10 aromatics; and transalkylating a methyl-enriched C 9 + aromatics stream comprising the methyl-enriched C 9 aromatics or the methyl-enriched C 9 /C 10 aromatics with a toluene containing stream to produce a product containing xylenes.