Two-stage hydrogenation of aromatic hydrocarbons

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR HYDROGENATING MONOCYCLIC AROMATICS IN A HYDROCARBON STREAM COMPRISING THE STEPS OF SUBJECTING A PLATINUM CATALYST CONTAIMINANT-CONTAINING HYDROCARBON STREAM, THE AROMATIC ONTENT THEREOF CONTAINING A MAJOR PROPORTION OF MONOCYCLIC AROMATICS, IN A FIRST REACTION ZONE TO THE ACTION OF HYDROGEN IN AN AMOUNT ABOVE 800 S.C.F. PER BARREL OF HYDROCARBONS, A PRESSURE FROM ABOUT 300 P.S.I. TO ABOUT 500 P.I.I., A TEMPERATURE FROM ABOUT 400*F. TO JUST BELOW THE TEMPERATURE AT WHICH REFORMING OF THE NON-AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS OCCURS, IN THE PRESENCE OF A HYDROGENATION CATALYST CONTAINING PLATINUM OF AT A LHSV OF HYDROCARBONS BETWEEN ABOUT 0.5 AND 12, REGULATED TO PROVIDE HYDROGENATION OF CYCLIC AROMATICS WITHOUT CRACKING, SEPARATING THE PRODUCTS OF SAID FIRST REACTION ZONE INTO LIQUID AND GASEOUS PHASES, AND SUBJECTING ONLY THE LIQUID PHASE IN A SECOND ISOLATED REACTION ZONE TO THE ACTION OF CONTAMINANT-FREE HYDROGEN UNDER CONDITIONS EQUIVALENT TO