US Patent 7534925 Isomerization of benzene-containing feedstocks

The benzene content in a gasoline pool is reduced by a process that hydrogenates a benzene-containing isomerization zone feedstream. The 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. The isomerization zone feedstream is treated to remove contaminants and dried before entering the hydrogenation zone.