Patent ID: 8748683
Filing Date: 2014-06-10
Classification: C07C

Abstract:
1. A method of forming ethylbenzene comprising: contacting a dilute ethylene stream with benzene at a molar ratio of benzene to ethylene of about 10:1 or less in a catalyst bed in a presence of an alkylation catalyst comprising a zeolite beta promoted with cerium and having a silica to alumina molar ratio of from about 10:1 to about 200:1 to thereby react the benzene with the ethylene, forming ethylbenzene and the catalyst becomes deactivated, wherein the contact occurs in a liquid phase reaction zone, and wherein the dilute ethylene stream comprises less than about 50% ethylene, and wherein the dilute ethylene stream is produced from fluid catalytic cracking; recovering a product stream comprising the ethylbenzene from the liquid phase reaction zone; and regenerating the deactivated alkylation catalyst to produce a regenerated catalyst comprising: taking a reactor of the liquid phase reaction zone offline; purging the alkylation catalyst disposed in the reactor with an inert gas at a purging temperature; heating the alkylation catalyst to a first temperature for a time period sufficient to provide an output stream having an oxygen content of about 0.5%; heating the alkylation catalyst to a second temperature higher than the first temperature for time period sufficient to provide an output stream having an oxygen content of about 2.0%; wherein the first and second temperature are from about 50° C. to 200° C. above the purging temperature; and reusing the regenerated catalyst.