Paraffin utilization of linear alkyl benzene production

A process for producing monoalkylbenzenes comprising

• a. passing C9-C14 paraffinic stream and a hereinafter derived paraffinic recycle stream to a dehydrogenation zone maintained at dehydrogenation conditions containing a dehydrogenation catalyst to produce an effluent stream comprising light hydrocarbon, hydrogen, feed paraffin hydrocarbons, corresponding monoolefinic and diolefinic hydrocarbons to said feed paraffin hydrocarbons and C9-C14 alkylaromatics, wherein said effluent stream comprises less than 1.4 wt % of said C9-C14 alkylaromatics wherein said dehydrogenation zone catalyst comprises a layered catalyst composition comprising an inner core, an outer layer bonded to said inner core, the outer layer comprising an outer refractory inorganic oxide with a layer thickness less than about 100 microns having uniformly dispersed thereon at least one platinum group metal and at least one promoter metal;
• b. sending at least a portion of said effluent stream to a selective hydrogenation reactor to convert said diolefinic hydrocarbons to monoolefinic hydrocarbons and producing a treated effluent stream;
• c. sending said treated effluent stream to an alkylation zone;
• d. sending an aromatics stream comprising benzene to said alkylation zone operated at alkylation conditions to generate a process stream comprising paraffins, benzene, monoalkylbenzenes and heavy alkylbenzenes (HAB);
• e. separating the process stream, in a first separation unit, into a first stream comprising benzene, and a second stream comprising alkylbenzenes and paraffins;
• f. passing the second stream to a second separation unit to generate a third stream comprising paraffins, which is recycled back to the dehydrogenation zone, and a fourth stream comprising alkylbenzenes;
• and
• g. passing the fourth stream to a third separation unit to generate a fifth stream comprising monoalkylated benzene and a sixth stream comprising heavy alkylbenzenes (HAB).