Patent ID: 8629311
Filing Date: 2014-01-14
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 and at least a portion of said impurities 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 any remaining impurities; (c) feeding said dehydrated stream to a treatment zone containing a treatment material; (d) contacting said dehydrated stream with said treatment material in said treatment zone under suitable treatment conditions to remove at least a portion of said remaining 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 and a first alkylating agent stream with a first alkylation catalyst having a first poison capacity in a first alkylation reaction zone under suitable at least partially liquid phase first reaction conditions to remove at least a portion of said impurities, and to alkylate at least a portion of said alkylatable aromatic compound with said first alkylating agent stream and produce a first alkylated stream comprising alkylated aromatic compound(s), unreacted alkylatable aromatic compound, any remaining water, and any remaining impurities, wherein said first alkylation 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 said first alkylated stream and a second alkylating agent stream with a second alkylation catalyst different from said first alkylation catalyst, said second alkylation catalyst having a second poison capacity in a second alkylation reaction zone under suitable at least partially liquid phase second reaction conditions to alkylate at least a portion of said unreacted alkylatable aromatic compound with said second alkylating agent stream and produce a second alkylated stream comprising additional said alkylated aromatic compound(s), unreacted alkylatable aromatic compound, any remaining water, and any remaining impurities, wherein said second alkylation catalyst is 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, mordenite, TEA-mordenite, ZSM-3, ZSM-4, ZSM-14, ZSM-18, ZSM-20, and combinations thereof, and wherein said first poison capacity of said first alkylation catalyst is greater than said second poison capacity of said second alkylation catalyst.