Process for producing alkylated aromatic compounds

A process for producing alkylated aromatic compounds, comprising:

• pyrolyzing a coal feed to produce a coke stream and a coal tar stream;
• hydrotreating the coal tar stream;
• cracking the hydrotreated coal tar stream;
• separating a portion of the cracked coal tar stream to obtain a fraction having an initial boiling point in the range of about 60° C. to about 180° C.;
• extracting an aromatics-rich hydrocarbon stream by contacting the fraction with one or more solvents;
• contacting the aromatics-rich hydrocarbon stream with an alkylating agent in the presence of an alkylation catalyst in an alkylation zone to produce an alkylated aromatic stream, or contacting the aromatics-rich hydrocarbon stream with an aliphatic compound or methanol in the presence of a methylation catalyst in a methylation zone to produce a methylated aromatic stream;
• and
• separating the alkylated aromatic stream into at least a first stream comprising ethyl benzene and diethyl benzenes, a second stream comprising cumenes and di-isopropyl benzenes, and a third stream comprising cymenes and di-isopropyl toluenes in a separation zone.