Patent ID: 7781632

Claim:
An integrated process for producing detergent range alkylbenzenes from a feedstock predominantly comprising C 5 and C 6 paraffins, the process comprising: a) subjecting the feedstock to dehydrogenation conditions to provide a dehydrogenated product that comprises C 5 and C 6 mono-olefins and a minor amount of diene; b) selectively hydrogenating at least a portion of the dehydrogenated product of step a to reduce diene concentration; c) reacting at least a portion of the dehydrogenated product having been subjected to the selective hydrogenation of step b under dimerization or metathesis condition to provide a detergent range olefin product comprising C 10 to C 12 mono-olefins; d) separating by distillation a refined olefin fraction comprising C 10 to C 12 mono-olefins from at least a portion of the detergent range olefin product, the refined olefin fraction containing less than about 0.5 mass-percent paraffins having 9 or more carbon atoms per molecule, and a lower boiling fraction, wherein at least a portion of the lower boiling fraction is recycled to step a; e) alkylating benzene with at least a portion of the refined olefin fraction under alkylation conditions including a stoichiometric excess of benzene to olefin to provide an alkylation effluent comprising alkylbenzenes and benzene; and f) separating benzene from at least a portion of the alkylation effluent and recycling at least a portion of the separated benzene to step e, wherein the detergent range olefin product of step c contains benzene and non-benzene aromatic compounds and at least a portion of the detergent range olefin product is contacted with a sorbent to selectively sorb the non-benzene aromatic compounds and provide detergent range olefin product having a reduced aromatic compound concentration for step e.