Patent ID: 8519209

Claim:
A process for controlling the 2-phenyl content in the benzene alkylation process, comprising: passing a benzene stream to an alkylation reactor; passing a linear olefin to the alkylation reactor wherein the olefin comprises olefins having from 8 to 16 carbon atoms; reacting the linear olefin with the benzene over a catalyst comprising two catalytic materials to produce an effluent stream comprising benzene and alkylbenzene, wherein the first catalytic material comprises a faujasite having a rare-earth metal deposited thereon, and the second catalytic material is UZM-8; measuring the 2-phenyl content of the alkylbenzene in the effluent stream; passing a portion of the effluent stream to the alkylation reactor to increase the benzene to olefin ratio of the feed; and passing the effluent stream to a separation unit to generate a first stream comprising benzene, a second stream comprising monoalkylbenzene, and a third stream comprising polyalkylbenzene; controlling the benzene to olefin ratio in the feed through control of the portion of the second stream to the reactor in response to the 2-phenyl content, wherein the desired 2-phenyl content is between preset limits; passing the third stream and a portion of the first stream to a transalkylation reactor; and passing a portion of the first stream to the alkylation reactor in response to the 2-phenyl content of the effluent stream.