Patent ID: 7141710

Claim:
A process for alkylating an aromatic hydrocarbon reactant with an alkylating agent to produce an alkylated aromatic product, said process comprising the steps of: (a) introducing said aromatic hydrocarbon reactant and said alkylating agent into a reactor unit comprised of a first bed and a second bed downstream from said first bed, said first bed contains a second catalyst which comprises 65 wt. % ZSM-5 and 35 wt. % silica, and said second bed contains a second catalyst which comprises 65 wt. % ZSM-5 and 35 Wt. % alumina; (b) alkylating in said first bed under alkylation conditions said aromatic hydrocarbon reactant with said alkylating agent to form a first effluent which comprises a mono-alkylaromatic compound, an unreacted portion of the aromatic hydrocarbon reactant, and polyalkylated aromatic compounds, and (c) alkylating in said second bed under alkylation conditions at least a portion of said unreacted aromatic hydrocarbon reactant present in said first effluent with said alkylating agent to form a product effluent which comprises a mono-alkylaromatic compound, an unreacted portion of the aromatic hydrocarbon reactant, and polyalkylated aromatic compounds.