Patent ID: 7259287

Claim:
A process of starting up a reaction system, the process comprising the steps of: a) heating at least a portion of the reaction system; b) loading a catalyst, the catalyst comprising activated metalloaluminophosphate molecular sieve, into a heated portion of the reaction system, wherein the catalyst loaded into the reaction system is maintained at a predetermined catalytic activity index while the sieve is in the reaction system, with the catalytic activity index being defined as CAI =exp(ƒ( T )*ƒ( PP water ) n *alpha* t ) wherein t=time of contact of catalyst with water (hours) T=temperature at contact (° C.) PP water =Partial Pressure of water in contact gas (psia) alpha=−0.071 n=3.5 ƒ(T)=exp(ea(1/(T+273)−n 1/(T o +273))) ea=−5500° K. T o =200° C. ƒ((PP water )=(26.2* PP water /P sat +1.14) * 0.175, for T≦180° C. (453° K.) ƒ(PP water )=((26.2+0.272* (180−T)) * PP water /P sat +1.14) * 0.175, for 180° C. (453° K.)>T≧150° C. (433° K.) P sat =Saturation pressure of water at T (psia); c) heating the catalyst loaded into the reaction system; and d) contacting the heated catalyst with feed in the reaction system.