Patent ID: 9725377
Date: 2017-08-08
CPC Classifications: B01J,C07C,Y02P

Claim:
1. A process for producing (methylcyclohexyl)toluene, the process comprising: (a) contacting a feed comprising toluene with hydrogen in the presence of a hydroalkylation catalyst under conditions effective to produce a hydroalkylation reaction product comprising (methylcyclohexyl)toluene, wherein the hydroalkylation catalyst comprises: 1) binder present at 40 wt % or less based upon weight of final catalyst composition, 2) a hydrogenation component present at 0.2 wt % or less based upon weight of final catalyst composition, and 3) an acidic component comprising a molecular sieve having a twelve membered or higher ring pore opening, channel or pocket and a largest pore dimension of 6.0 angstroms or more present at 60 wt % or more, based upon weight of final catalyst composition, wherein the hydrogenation component of the hydroalkylation catalyst is selected from the group consisting of palladium, ruthenium, nickel, zinc, tin, cobalt and compounds and mixtures thereof, and wherein the hydroalkylation reaction product comprises at least 60 wt % of the m,3, m,4, p,3 and p,4-isomers of (methylcyclohexyl)toluene based on the total weight of all the (methylcyclohexyl)toluene isomers, and less than 30 wt % of methylcyclohexane.