Abstract: A process for converting a naphtha feedstock to a pure benzene including the steps of: reforming the naphtha; removing a major fraction of C.sub.4 - C.sub.5 and heavy reformate components to obtain a reformate containing a major portion of C.sub.6 - C.sub.8 aromatic hydrocarbons and an associated saturated portion; extracting the aromatic hydrocarbons from the reformate countercurrently in a simplified process with a selective hydrophilic solvent, such as sulfolane, having high solubility for aromatic hydrocarbons and low solubility for paraffinic hydrocarbons to obtain an extract stream rich in C.sub.6 - C.sub.8 aromatic hydrocarbons and a raffinate stream rich in paraffinic hydrocarbons; and recovering the selective solvent from the extract stream to obtain an aromatic component comprising a major C.sub.6 - C.sub.8 aromatic hydrocarbons and about 3 to 18 wt. % paraffinic hydrocarbon impurity.

Abstract: The operation of an ebullated-bed, liquid-phase hydrogenation process for the hydrocracking of a residuum hydrocarbon in the presence of a particulate catalyst is improved by operating under conditions such that there is a greater laydown of carbon on the catalyst than permitted in conventional operation of an ebullated-bed system which is followed by catalyst regeneration in the presence of steam and air and recycle of such regenerated catalyst to the reactor.