Three stage catalytic process for pyrolysis oil upgrading to xylenes

A method for upgrading pyrolysis oil, the method comprising:

• contacting the pyrolysis oil feed with hydrogen in the presence of a mixed metal oxide catalyst in a slurry reactor to produce light aromatic compounds, where:
• the pyrolysis oil feed comprises multi-ring aromatic compounds comprising greater than or equal to sixteen carbon atoms;
• the mixed metal oxide catalyst comprises a plurality of catalyst particles and each of the plurality of catalyst particles comprises a plurality of different metal oxides;
• and
• contacting the pyrolysis oil feed with hydrogen in the presence of the mixed metal oxide catalyst in the slurry reactor to convert at least a portion of the multi-ring aromatic compounds in the pyrolysis oil feed to the light aromatic compounds comprising mono-aromatic compounds, di-aromatic compounds, or both;
• passing an intermediate stream comprising the light aromatic compounds from the slurry reactor to a hydrocracking reactor;
• contacting the intermediate stream with hydrogen in the presence of a hydrocracking catalyst in the hydrocracking reactor, where:
• the contacting causes at least a portion of the light aromatic compounds in the intermediate stream to undergo hydrocracking to produce a hydrocracking effluent comprising aromatic compounds having six to nine carbon atoms;
• and
• the hydrocracking catalyst comprises a mesoporous zeolite supported metal catalyst comprising a mesoporous zeolite support and at least one of a first metal catalyst and a second metal catalyst deposited on outer surfaces and pore surfaces of the mesoporous zeolite support;
• passing the hydrocracking effluent from the hydrocracking reactor to a transalkylation reactor;
• and
• contacting the hydrocracking effluent with hydrogen in the presence of a transalkylation catalyst in the transalkylation reactor, where the contacting causes at least a portion of the aromatic compounds in the hydrocracking effluent to undergo transalkylation to produce a transalkylation effluent comprising xylenes.