Patent ID: 7642389
Filing Date: 2010-01-05
Classification: C07C,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A continuous, integrated process for preparing monoalkylbenzene by the alkylation of benzene with olefin having between about 8 and 16 carbon atoms, said olefins being contained in a feedstock with paraffin, in the presence of solid, acid alkylation catalyst, the process comprising: (a) subjecting unbranched and lightly branched olefins in the feedstock to alkylation conditions comprising contacting a solid, acidic alkylation catalyst with the olefins without substantially isomerizing the olefins to provide an alkylation product wherein (i) the mole ratio of benzene to olefin is less than about 15:1 and sufficient to provide an alkylation product stream containing at least about 5 mass percent dialkylbenzenes based upon the total dialkylbenzenes and monoalkylbenzene in said alkylation product and (ii) the alkylation product has a Bromine Index less than about 100 and wherein the alkylbenzenes have a linearity of at least 85%, wherein the catalysts are selected from the group consisting of zeolites, acidified refractory oxides, and mixtures thereof, wherein the zeolite is selected from the group consisting of beta, mordenite, ZSM-4, ZSM-12, ZSM-20, ZSM-38, MCM-22, MCM-36, MCM-49, UZM-8, offretite, gmelinite, zeolite Y, NU-87, and gottardite, the acidified refractory oxides selected from the group consisting of chlorided, fluorided, or sulfated alumina, gallia, boria, molybdia, ytterbia, titania, chromia, silica, zirconia, and mixtures thereof; (b) separating by distillation at least about 99.5 percent of the benzene contained in said alkylation product stream to provide at least one lower boiling fraction comprising benzene and a first bottoms stream comprising monoalkylbenzene, alkanes and dialkylbenzene; (c) separating by distillation at least about 90 mass percent of the alkane contained in said first bottoms stream to provide a lower boiling fraction comprising alkane and a second bottoms stream comprising monoalkylbenzene and dialkylbenzene; (d) separating by distillation the second bottoms stream to provide a third bottoms stream comprising dialkylbenzenes and a lower boiling fraction comprising monoalkylbenzene, said third bottoms stream comprising at least about 2 mass percent monoalkylbenzene; (e) subjecting at least a portion of the third bottoms stream to transalkylation conditions comprising the presence of benzene, in a mole ratio to dialkylbenzenes of at least about 2:1, and a catalytically effective amount of solid transalkylation catalyst, which conditions are sufficient to convert at least about 40 mole percent of the dialkylbenzene, to provide a transalkylation effluent containing monoalkylbenzene, dialkylbenzene and benzene; and (f) passing transalkylation effluent to step (b); wherein the mixture of olefin and paraffin of step (a) is derived from the dehydrogenation of paraffin and a selective sorbent is used to remove aromatic compounds from the olefin and paraffin mixture prior to step (a) and at least a portion of recovered benzene is used to regenerate the selective sorbent and provide a spent regenerant stream.