Patent ID: 8524964

Claim:
A process for aromatic conversion comprising the steps of: (a) contacting a feedstock suitable for aromatic conversion in a reaction zone under hydrocarbon conversion conditions with a first catalyst comprising an EMM-10 family molecular sieve to produce a converted aromatic product which differs from said feedstock, said EMM-10 family molecular sieve having, in its as-synthesized form, an X-ray diffraction pattern including a peak at d-spacing maximum of 12.33±0.23 Angstroms, a distinguishable peak at a d-spacing maximum between 12.57 to about 14.17 Angstroms and a non-discrete peak at a d-spacing maximum between 8.8 to 11. Angstroms, wherein the peak intensity of the d-spacing maximum between 12.57 to about 14.17 Angstroms is less than 90% of the peak intensity of the d-spacing maximum at 12.33±0.23 Angstroms, and (b) passing at least a portion of said feedstock through an unreactive or reactive guard bed maintained under at least partial liquid phase conditions or alkylation or transalkylation conditions prior to entry into said reaction zone to remove any impurities in said feedstock, said unreactive or reactive guard bed loaded with a second catalyst which is the same or different from said first catalyst.