Patent ID: 8389785

Claim:
A method for controlling the 2-phenyl isomer content of linear alkylbenzene obtained by alkylating a benzene with an olefin having at least 10 carbon atoms, comprising reacting under alkylation reaction conditions a substantially linear olefin with benzene in a process stream comprising water and in the presence of a catalyst and controlling the water concentration in the range from bone dry to about 100 ppm, said catalyst comprising a first catalyst component zeolite selected from the group consisting of rare earth-containing faujacite comprising at least about 16.5 wt. percent rare earth selected from the group consisting of lanthanum, cerium, preseodymium, neodymium, other rare earths typically associated with the named rare earths, and blends thereof, and a second catalyst component zeolite selected from the group consisting of UZM 8.