Patent ID: 7563358

Claim:
A process for producing an aromatics product selected from the group consisting of benzene, toluene, xylenes, and mixtures thereof from a hydrocarbon feed comprising: (a) C 6+ non-aromatic cyclic hydrocarbons; (b) A 8+ single-ring aromatic hydrocarbons having at least one alkyl group containing two or more carbon atoms; and (c) A 9+ single-ring aromatic hydrocarbons having at least three methyl groups, said process comprising: contacting said feed in the presence of hydrogen and with a catalyst comprising an effective amount of at least one Group VIII metal and a molecular sieve selected from the group consisting of a large pore molecular sieve and an intermediate pore size molecular sieve, said molecular sieve having an alpha value, before incorporation of said Group VIII metal, from about 2 to less than 100 and under conditions sufficient for (i) forming aromatic hydrocarbons from C 6+ non-aromatic cyclic hydrocarbons, (ii) dealkylating A 8+ single-ring aromatic hydrocarbons having at least one alkyl group containing two or more carbon atoms; (iii) transalkylating A 9+ single-ring aromatic hydrocarbons having at least three methyl groups; and (iv) disproportionating toluene, to produce a product such that said product contains an increased amount of benzene, toluene, xylenes, or combinations thereof compared to said hydrocarbon feed.