Patent ID: 8329971

Claim:
A method comprising: (a) providing an aromatic hydrocarbon feedstream containing bromine-reactive contaminants; (b) contacting said feedstream with a catalyst composition comprising at least one zeolite under conditions sufficient to at least partially removed bromine-reactive contaminants from said feedstock, so as to provide a treated aromatic hydrocarbon feedstream having a BI at or below a preselected value, and a catalyst composition having carbon deposits on said zeolite as a result of said contacting, wherein said carbon deposits are in the amount of greater than 3.0 wt %, based on the weight of said zeolite; and then (c) treating said zeolite under conditions sufficient to only partially remove said carbon deposits, said conditions including flowing heated air comprising molecular oxygen and steam over said zeolite at a WHSV sufficient so as to provide a regenerated zeolite characterized by the presence of 0.5 to 3.0 wt % carbon, based on the weight of said zeolite, said conditions in (c) further including a temperature of from 400 to 600° C.