Process for the aromatization of dilute ethylene

1. A An exothermic process for the conversion of ethylene in a C2 hydrocarbon containing gas feed, said process comprising:

a. providing at least one C2 hydrocarbon containing gas feed, wherein said C2 hydrocarbon containing gas feed comprises ethylene and optionally methanol and/or dimethylether diluted with a dilution feed comprising methane, ethane, and/or natural gas and contacting said C2 hydrocarbon containing gas feed with a nitrogen-adsorbing guard bed;

b. providing at least one heterogeneous dehydroaromatization catalyst in a bed in a reactor, wherein said heterogeneous dehydroaromatization catalyst comprises

(i) ZSM-5 in a range between 1-98.9% by weight;

(ii) amorphous silica, alumina, or a combination thereof in a range of 1-98.9% by weight;

(iii) Zn and/or Cu in a range between 0.05-3% by weight; and

(iv) at least one exchanged metal of Group IA or IIA or lanthanide series in a range of 0.05-3% by weight;

c. contacting said C2 hydrocarbon containing gas feed and said heterogeneous dehydroaromatization catalyst in the bed in the reactor;

d. processing, in the reactor, ethylene and propylene to form a naphtha boiling range product, comprising at least one aromatic component; and

e. Optionally, stopping the C2 hydrocarbon containing gas feed, isolating the reactor from the process, using valves, and performing a periodic regeneration of the heterogeneous catalyst to remove carbon deposits, produced from step d., using air, nitrogen, or mixtures thereof.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the reactor comprises at least two beds of catalyst, each bed having an independent hydrocarbon gas feed point.

3. The process of claim 2 , wherein said reactor further comprises a system for controlling the temperature of the C2 hydrocarbon containing gas feed, wherein said system is located on at least one of the at least 2 feed points.

4. The process of claim 1 , where the C2 hydrocarbon containing gas feed comprises trace quantities of water.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein said heterogeneous catalyst has between 20-85% ZSM-5 by weight.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the heterogeneous catalyst further comprises a second three-dimensional-framework, crystalline, silica/alumina species having a content of less than 35% by weight.

7. The process of claim 6 , wherein the second three-dimensional-framework, crystalline, silica/alumina species is Zeolite Y or Beta zeolite.

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein a feed ratio of the C2 hydrocarbon containing gas feed and the dilution feed is controlled.

9. The process of claim 8 , whereby the feed ratio is controlled to maintain an ethylene content in the feed of less than 20% by weight to the reactor.

10. The process of claim 8 , wherein the dilution ratio changes, for a single reactor, over time.

11. The process of claim 1 wherein the dilution feed represents a methane rich feed or a process gas recycle.

12. The process of claim 11 , where the dilution ratios of any two reactors, which are simultaneously processing the feed, are both different and independently controlled.

13. An exothermic process for the conversion of ethylene in a hydrocarbon gas feed or portion thereof, said process comprising:

a. providing at least one hydrocarbon gas feed, wherein said hydrocarbon gas feed comprises ethylene and hydrogen and said hydrocarbon gas feed is diluted with a dilution feed comprising methane, ethane, and/or natural gas and contacting said hydrocarbon gas feed with a nitrogen-adsorbing guard bed;

b. providing at least one heterogeneous dehydroaromatization catalyst in a bed in a reactor, wherein said heterogeneous dehydroaromatization catalyst comprises

i. ZSM-5 in a range between 1-98.9% by weight;

ii. amorphous silica, alumina, or a combination thereof in a range of 1-98.9% by weight;

iii. Zn and/or Cu in a range between 0.05-3% by weight; and

iv. at least one exchanged metal of Group IA or IIA or lanthanide series in a range of 0.05-3% by weight;

c. pretreating the heterogeneous dehydroaromatization catalyst to control its hydrogenation activity, by passing a gas stream containing hydrogen sulphide and or an organic sulfur compound over the catalyst, prior to introduction of the hydrocarbon gas feed; and

d. processing, in the reactor, the hydrocarbon gas feed, to form a naphtha boiling-range product, said naphtha boiling-range product comprising at least one aromatic compound.

14. The process according to claim 13 , where the organic sulphur compound is a mercaptan, sulphide, or disulphide.

15. The process according to claim 13 , where the reactor comprises at least two beds of catalyst, wherein each bed has an independent hydrocarbon gas feed point.

16. The process of claim 13 , wherein the heterogeneous catalyst further comprises a second three-dimensional-framework, crystalline, silica/alumina species having a content of less than 35% weight.

17. The process of claim 16 , wherein the second three-dimensional-framework, crystalline, silica/alumina species is Zeolite Y or Beta zeolite.