Patent ID: 8168843

Claim:
A process for reducing benzene content in a reformate stream, comprising: fractionating a full range reformate comprising benzene, C 7 to C 9 monoalkyl aromatics, and C 10+ polyalkyl aromatics into at least three fractions including a light reformate fraction comprising the benzene; a medium reformate fraction comprising the C 7 to C 9 monoalkyl aromatics; and a heavy reformate fraction comprising the C 10+ polyalkyl aromatics; feeding the light reformate fraction, the heavy reformate fraction and a transalkylation catalyst to a transalkylation reaction zone; contacting the light fraction and the heavy fraction in presence of the transalkylation catalyst in the transalkylation reaction zone to react at least a portion of the benzene with C 10+ polyalkyl aromatics to form monoalkyl aromatics; separating an effluent from the transalkylation reaction zone to form a catalyst fraction and a liquid fraction comprising the monoalkyl aromatics, wherein the liquid fraction has a benzene concentration of less than 1 weight percent.