Hydrocarbon dehydrocyclization

A natural gas upgrading process, comprising:

• (a) providing a feed which includes ≥50 wt. % of natural gas, the natural gas comprising C2-C4 paraffinic hydrocarbon;
• (b) providing a dehydrocyclization catalyst which includes (i) ≥25 wt. % of a molecular sieve component, the molecular sieve component comprising ≥90 wt. % of one or more of MCM-22, ZSM-5, ZSM-11, ZSM-12, ZSM-22, ZSM-23, ZSM-35, and ZSM-48, and (ii) ≥0.05 wt. % of a dehydrogenation component, the dehydrogenation component comprising ≥90 wt. % of one or more of Ga, Zn, Cu, Re, Mo, W, La, Fe, Ag, Pt, and Pd;
• (c) converting ≥65 wt. % of the feed's C2-C4 paraffinic hydrocarbon to a product comprising methane and ≥1 wt. % of aromatic hydrocarbon by exposing the feed to the dehydrocyclization catalyst in a reaction zone under dehydrocyclization conditions for an average residence time of the dehydrocyclization catalyst in the reaction zone under the dehydrocyclization conditions of ≤90 seconds, wherein the catalytic dehydrocyclization conditions include a temperature in the range of from 400° C. to 800° C., a pressure in the range of from 0 psig (101 kPa) to 300 psig (2170 kPa), and a space velocity (GHSV) ≥1100 hr−1;
• and
• (d) recovering at least a portion of the product's aromatic hydrocarbon,
• wherein the conversion achieves an aromatic hydrocarbon selectivity ≥40 wt. % and a methane selectivity ≤40 wt. %.

A process for producing aromatic hydrocarbon, comprising:

• (a) providing a feed comprising ≥1 wt. % of C2+ non-aromatic hydrocarbon;
• (b) providing a reaction zone which includes catalyst having catalytic activity for dehydrocyclization of the feed's C2+ non-aromatic hydrocarbon,
• (c) reacting the feed's C2+ non-aromatic hydrocarbon in a reaction zone in the presence of the catalyst under dehydrocyclization conditions to produce a product comprising methane and ≥1 wt. % of aromatic hydrocarbon, wherein
• (i) the dehydrocyclization conditions include a temperature in the range of from 400° C. to 800° C., a pressure in the range of from 0 psig (101 kPa) to 300 psig (2170 kPa), and a space velocity (GHSV) ≥1100 hr−1, the dehydrocyclization catalyst having an average residence time in the reaction zone under the dehydrocyclization conditions of ≤90 seconds, and
• (ii) the reaction achieves (A) a C2l hydrocarbon conversion of X wt. % and (B) a methane selectivity of Y wt. %, and
• (iii) when (A) if X>60, then Y≤40, (B) if X is in the range of 50 to 60 then Y≤20, and (C) if X<50 then Y≤15;
• and
• (d) recovering at least a portion of the product's aromatic hydrocarbon.