Processes for producing high-octane-number fuel component

A process for producing a high-octane-number fuel component, the process comprising:

• (I) providing a first C8+ hydrocarbon stream comprising p-xylene, o-xylene, m-xylene, and ethylbenzene;
• (II) feeding the first C8+ hydrocarbon stream into a C8 splitter to obtain a first o-xylene-rich stream depleted in p-xylene and m-xylene, and a first o-xylene-depleted stream rich in p-xylene and m-xylene;
• (III) feeding the first o-xylene-depleted stream to a p-xylene recovery sub-system, from which a p-xylene product stream rich in p-xylene and a raffinate stream depleted in p-xylene are obtained;
• (IV) obtaining the high-octane-number fuel component from one or more of:
• at least a portion of the first o-xylene-depleted stream;
• at least a portion of the raffinate stream;
• and a mixture of at least a portion of the first o-xylene-depleted stream and at least a portion of the raffinate stream;
• and
• (IV-a) abating at least a portion of the ethylbenzene from the high-octane-number fuel component comprising at least the portion of the first o-xylene-depleted stream, the raffinate stream, a mixture of the first o-xylene-depleted stream and the raffinate stream, or a combination thereof, to obtain an ethylbenzene-abated C8 stream.