Patent ID: 7405336

Claim:
A process for alkylation of an aromatic compound comprising: supplying an aromatic feedstock comprised of benzene into a reaction zone and into contact with a catalyst consisting essentially of a metal-promoted beta zeolite molecular sieve alkylation catalyst in a reaction zone, wherein said catalyst contains metal in an amount to provide a metal/aluminum atomic ratio within a range of about 0.1 to about 10, where the metal is selected from the group consisting of yttrium, cerium, and a rare earth of the lanthanide series other than lanthanum; supplying a C 2 -C 4 alkylating agent to the reaction zone in an amount to provide an aromatic compound/alkylating agent mole ratio in the range of about 1 to about 30 inclusive; operating the reaction zone at temperature and pressure conditions in which the aromatic compound is in a supercritical or liquid phase to cause alkylation of the aromatic compound in the presence of the zeolite alkylation catalyst to produce an alkylation product comprised of ethylbenzene as a primary product with an attendant production of heavier alkylated by-products in a minor amount; and recovering the alkylation product from the reaction zone, wherein a total by-product yield for the metal promoted zeolite is less than a total by-product yield under the same temperature and pressure conditions for a zeolite promoted with lanthanum at a lanthanum/aluminum atomic ratio at least equal to the metal/aluminum atomic ratio of the metal-promoted zeolite catalyst.