Patent ID: 7799961
Filing Date: 2010-09-21
Classification: C07C,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A process for producing ethylbenzene comprising the steps of: (a) selecting an alkylation catalyst which comprises at least one zeolite selected from the group consisting of MCM-22, MCM-36, MCM-49, MCM-56, and any combination thereof; (b) contacting an alkylatable aromatic compound(s) which comprises benzene, with an alkylating agent under alkylation conditions in the presence of said alkylation catalyst in an alkylation reactor, to produce an alkylation effluent which comprises polyalkylated aromatic compound(s) which comprises bi-alkylated aromatic compound(s) and tri-alkylated aromatic compound(s), said bi-alkylated aromatic compound(s) comprises diethylbenzene, said tri-alkylated compound(s) comprises triethylbenzene; (c) selecting a transalkylation catalyst which comprises at least one zeolite having a zeolite structure type of FAU; (d) contacting said alkylatable aromatic compounds with polyalkylated aromatic compound(s) at transalkylation conditions in the presence of said transalkylation catalyst in a transalkylation reactor to produce a transalkylation effluent comprising said ethylbenzene, wherein the selected alkylation catalyst is maintained under alkylation conditions of temperature and pressure to ensure at least 90 mol. % alkene conversion; wherein said transalkylation conditions comprises a temperature range from about 100° C. below the temperature of step (b) to about 50° C. above the temperature of step (b) to yield a ratio of a bi-alkylated aromatic compound(s) conversion over a tri-alkylated aromatic compound(s) conversion in a range of from about 0.9 to 1.18; wherein said alkylation effluent is used to heat said alkylatable aromatic compound, said polyalkylated aromatic compound(s) or steam.