Patent ID: 8143466

Claim:
A process for the reduction of benzene in a gasoline stream, the process comprising: feeding a gasoline fraction comprising benzene and C 6 + hydrocarbons and at least one of an alcohol and an ether to a catalytic distillation column comprising at least one reaction zone containing an alkylation catalyst, wherein the at least one reaction zone is above a gasoline fraction feed location, concurrently in the catalytic distillation column: separating the C 6 hydrocarbons from C 7+ hydrocarbons, wherein the C 6 hydrocarbons and benzene distill upward into the at least one reaction zone; contacting benzene and the at least one of an alcohol and an ether in the at least one reaction zone in the presence of the alkylation catalyst to convert at least a portion of the benzene and the at least one of an alcohol and an ether to an alkylate; recovering an overheads fraction comprising C 6 hydrocarbons, any unreacted alcohol and ether, and water; and recovering a bottoms fraction comprising C 7+ hydrocarbons and the alkylate, wherein the catalytic distillation column is operated to avoid contact of C 7+ aromatic compounds with the alkylation catalyst.