COMBINATION PROCESS FOR HYDROGENATION AND ISOMERIZATION OF BENZENE-AND PARAFFIN CONTAINING FEEDSTOCKS

摘要

The benzene content in a gasoline pool is reduced by a process that hydrogenates a benzene-containing isomerization zone feedstream. In addition to reducing the benzene concentration, the hydrogenation zone is also used to heat the isomerization zone feed and thereby eliminate the need for an isomerization zone heater. The process employs mild saturation conditions which eliminates hydrocracking and prevents the loss of isoparaffin yield. Additional cyclic hydrocarbons produced by the saturation of benzene can be processed in the isomerization zone for ring opening to increase the available paraffinic feedstock or the isomerization zone can be operated to pass the cyclic hydrocarbons through to a product recovery section.