Catalytic hydrodearylation of heavy aromatic streams containing dissolved hydrogen with fractionation

A method for hydrodearylation of a hydrocarbon feed stream comprising non-condensed alkyl-bridged multi-aromatic hydrocarbons, the method comprising the steps of:

• supplying a hydrogen feed stream to the hydrocarbon feed stream comprising non-condensed alkyl-bridged multi-aromatic hydrocarbons;
• mixing the hydrogen feed stream with the hydrocarbon feed stream to saturate the hydrocarbon feed stream with hydrogen gas to create a hydrogen-enriched liquid hydrocarbon stream;
• passing the hydrogen-enriched liquid hydrocarbon stream to a hydrodearylation reactor without a separate gaseous phase of hydrogen;
• and
• allowing the hydrogen-enriched liquid hydrocarbon stream to react in presence of a catalyst under specific reaction conditions as a liquid, in a two phase reactor without a separate hydrogen gas phase outside of hydrogen dissolved in the hydrogen-enriched liquid, to produce a product stream comprising a reduced concentration of di-aromatic compounds and an increaced concentration of mono-aromatic compounds compared to the hydrocarbon feed stream comprising non-condensed alkyl-bridged multi-aromatic hydrocarbons;
• where the non-condensed alkyl-bridged multi-aromatic hydrocarbons include at least two benzene rings connected by an alkyl bridge group having at least two carbons, where the benzene rings are connected to different carbons of the alkyl bridge group.