Patent ID: 7534925

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 feed stock and generate a dried feedstock comprising less than 0.5 wt.-% water; (b) combining the dried feedstock with a hydrogen-rich gas stream to produce a combined feed; (c) 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; (d) 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 exchanging the hydrogenation zone effluent with the combined feed; (e) passing at least a portion of the 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; (f) recovering an isomerate product from the isomerization zone; (g) separating the isomerate product to remove C 4 and lighter hydrocarbons and generate a stabilizer bottoms stream; (h) separating the stabilizer bottoms stream into an overhead stream comprising pentanes, dimethylbutanes and methylpentanes, a side cut stream comprising normal hexane, methylpentanes and C 6 naphthenes, and a bottoms stream comprising C 6 naphthenes and C 7 and heavier compounds; and (i) recycling the side cut stream to combine with the feedstock.