Patent ID: 8877996
Filing Date: 2014-11-04
Classification: C07C

Abstract:
1. A process for producing an alkylated aromatic compound, said process comprising the steps of: (a) supplying a feed stream to a dehydration zone, said feed stream comprising an alkylatable aromatic compound, water and impurities, wherein said impurities comprise a compound having nitrogen as an element; (b) removing at least a portion of said water from said feed stream in said dehydration zone operated under suitable dehydration conditions to produce a dehydrated stream comprising said alkylatable aromatic compound, any remaining water and said impurities; (c) feeding at least a portion of said dehydrated stream to a treatment zone containing a treatment material; (d) contacting said portion of said dehydrated stream with said treatment material in said treatment zone under suitable treatment conditions to remove at least a portion of said impurities, wherein said treatment material is selected from the group consisting of clay, resin, activated alumina, Linde type X, Linde type A and combinations thereof; (e) contacting at least a portion of said dehydrated stream from step (d) with a first catalyst having a first poison capacity in a guard bed of a first reaction zone under suitable at least partially liquid phase first reaction conditions to remove at least a portion of said impurities, and produce an alkylatable aromatic stream having a reduced amount of impurities and comprising said alkylatable aromatic compound, any remaining water, and any remaining impurities, wherein said first catalyst is a large pore molecular sieve selected from the group of consisting of zeolite beta, faujasite, zeolite Y, Ultrastable Y (USY), Dealuminized Y (Deal Y), Rare Earth Y (REY), Ultrahydrophobic Y (UHP-Y), mordenite, TEA-mordenite, ZSM-3, ZSM-4, ZSM-14, ZSM-18, ZSM-20 and combinations thereof; and (f) contacting a portion of said alkylatable aromatic stream from step (e) and an alkylating agent stream with an alkylation catalyst different from said first catalyst, said alkylation catalyst having a second poison capacity greater than said first poison capacity, in an alkylation reaction zone under suitable at least partially liquid phase second reaction conditions to alkylate at least a portion of said alkylatable aromatic stream with said alkylating agent stream and produce an alkylated stream comprising alkylated aromatic compound(s), unreacted alkylatable aromatic compound, any remaining water, and any remaining impurities, wherein said alkylation catalyst is a MCM-22 family material selected from the group consisting of ERB-1, ITQ-1, ITQ-2, ITQ-30, PSH-3, SSZ-25, MCM-22, MCM-36, MCM-49, MCM-56, UZM-8, EMM-10, EMM-10P, EMM-12, EMM-13 and mixtures thereof.