Patent ID: 8350110

Claim:
A continuous process for the production of monoalkylbenzenes, comprising continuously supplying benzene to a transalkylation reactor; continuously supplying heavy alkylbenzenes to the transalkylation reactor; reacting the benzene and heavy alkylbenzenes in the presence of a catalyst at reaction conditions to generate an effluent stream comprising benzene, heavy alkylbenzenes and monoalkylbenzenes; passing a portion of the effluent stream as a recycle stream back to the transalkylation reactor, without separation of the components in the effluent stream; wherein the portion of the effluent stream passed back to the transalkylation reactor is more than 50% of the effluent stream and the conversion of heavy alkylbenzene is more than 50%; and passing another portion of the transalkylation reactor effluent to a monoalkylation recovery unit.