Patent ID: 7649122
Filing Date: 2010-01-19
Classification: C07C,C10G

Abstract:
1. A process for alkylation of benzene with ethylene to produce ethylbenzene, comprising the steps of: (a) contacting said benzene and said ethylene with at least one catalyst comprising a MCM-22 molecular sieve under suitable conditions in at least one reaction zone, to produce at least one effluent which comprises said ethylbenzene, wherein said suitable conditions comprise a water content being in a range from about 1 wppm to about 10 wt. % based on the combined weight of said benzene and said ethylene; and (b) maintaining said water content in said reaction zone for the majority of the on-oil time by removing water from at least one of said alkylatable aromatic compound or said alkylating agent; wherein the cycle length of said molecular sieve catalyst operated inside said range of said water content is greater than the cycle length of said molecular sieve catalyst operated outside said range of said water content when said reaction zone is operated under equivalent conditions, wherein said suitable conditions include a temperature from about 100° C. to about 400° C., a pressure from about 20.3 to 4500 kPa-a, a WHSV from about 0.1 to about 10 h −1 , and a molar ratio of said benzene over said ethylene from about 0.1:1 to 50:1.