Patent ID: 7531704

Claim:
A process for the hydrogenation and decyclization of benzene and the isomerization of C 5 -C 6 paraffins with a feedstock comprising C 5 -C 6 paraffins and at least 1 wt.% benzene, said process comprising: (a) passing the feedstock, without venting hydrogen or condensing, to a drier, to remove water and thereby dry the feedstock and generate a dried feedstock comprising less than 0.5 wt.-% water; (b) separating the dried feedstock into a first portion and a second portion; (c) combining the first portion of the dried feedstock with a hydrogen-rich gas stream to produce a combined feed; (d) passing the combined feed, at a temperature of from about 38 to about 232° C. (about 100 to about 450° F.), to a hydrogenation zone and contacting said combined feed with a hydrogenation catalyst at hydrogenation conditions to saturate benzene and generate a hydrogenation zone effluent having a temperature in the range of about 149 to about 288° C. (300 to 550° F.) and comprising less than 1.5 wt. % benzene; (e) adjusting the temperature of the hydrogenation zone effluent to a range of about 104 to about 204° C. (220 to 400° F.) by at least heat quenching the hydrogenation zone effluent through combining the hydrogenation zone effluent with the second portion of the dried feedstock to form a combined hydrogenation zone effluent; (f) passing at least a portion of the combined hydrogenation zone effluent to an isomerization zone and contacting with an isomerization catalyst at isomerization and decyclization conditions To isomerize C 5 -C 6 paraffins and decyclize benzene; and to form an isomerate product (g) recovering the isomerate product from the isomerization zone.