Patent ID: 7297830
Filing Date: 2007-11-20
Classification: C07C,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A process for isomerizing xylene in a feedstock comprising a non-equilibrium mixture of one or more xylenes comprising contacting the feedstock with a catalytically-effective amount of layered catalyst under isomerization conditions sufficient to provide a xylene-containing isomerization product stream in which of the xylenes, para-xylene comprises at least about 23 mass-%, ortho-xylene at least about 21 mass-%, and meta-xylene at least about 48 mass-%, said catalyst comprising a core having a major dimension of at least about 300 microns, a layer on said core, said layer comprising molecular sieve having a pore diameter of from about 4 to 8 angstroms and a binder and having a thickness less than about 250 microns, and at least one hydrogenation metal component selected from metals of Groups 6 to 10 of the Periodic Table (IUPAC), wherein at least about 75 mass-% of the hydrogenation metal component in the catalyst is contained in the layer, wherein the net production of toluene and trimethylbenzene is less than about 3 mass-% of the total xylenes and ethylbenzene, if present, in the feedstock.