Hydrocarbon conversion process

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE SEPARATION OF AROMATICS FROM A FEEDSTOCK MIXTURE CONTAINING, IN A MAJOR PROPORTION, SAID AROMATICS AND MONO-OLEFINS, AND A MINOR PROPORTION OF GUM-FORMING CONSTITUENTS, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: (1) CONTACTING SAID FEEDSTOCK IN A FIRST HYDROGENATION STAGE WITH A SUPPORTED NICKEL CATALYST WHICH, UNDER OPERATING CONDITIONS, CONTAINS A MAJOR PROPORTION OF NICKEL IN ELEMENTAL FORM, IN THE PRESENCE OF A GAS IN WHICH THE REACTANT THEREOF CONSISTS ESSENTIALLY OF HYDROGEN AND AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE, WHEREBY AT LEAST A SUBSTANTIAL PROPORTION OF THE GUMFORMING CONSTITUENTS ARE DESTROYED; (2) PASSING AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE PRODUCT STREAM FROM SAID FIRST STAGE TO A SECOND, OLEFIN REMOVING, HYDROGENATION STAGE AND CONTACTING SAID PORTION WITH A HYDROGENATION CATALYST DIFFERENT FROM SAID SUPPORTED NICKEL CATALYST OF SAID FIRST STAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF HYDROGEN AND AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE WHEREBY AT LEAST A SUBSTANTIAL PROPORTION OF THE MONO-OLEFINS IN SAID PORTION ARE CONVERTED INTO PARAFFINS; AND (3) RECOVERING THE AROMATICS FROM THE PRODUCT STREAM OF SAID SECOND STAGE.