Patent ID: 8802907

Claim:
A dehydrogenation process comprising: (a) contacting benzene and hydrogen in the presence of a hydroalkylation catalyst under hydroalkylation conditions effective to form a hydroalkylation reaction product stream comprising cyclohexylbenzene, cyclohexane, methyl cyclopentane, and benzene; (b) dividing at least a portion of the hydroalkylation reaction product stream into a cyclohexylbenzene-rich stream and a C 6 -rich stream comprising cyclohexane, methyl cyclopentane, and benzene; and (c) producing a dehydrogenation reaction product stream comprising the step of contacting at least a portion of the C 6 -rich stream with a dehydrogenation catalyst comprising at least one metal or compound thereof and at least one molecular sieve and under conditions effective to convert at least a portion of the cyclohexane to benzene and to convert at least a portion of the methyl cyclopentane to at least one paraffin.