Patent ID: 7576249

Claim:
A method for the disproportionation of a feedstock containing at least one alkylaromatic compound to produce a transalkylated product comprising: (a) providing a mordenite disproportionation catalyst which has been modified by the inclusion of nickel into said catalyst, wherein the catalyst exhibits a silica to alumina molar ratio of less than 9:1; (b) pretreating said catalyst by contacting said catalyst under pretreatment conditions at a temperature of at least 100° C. with hydrogen sulfide in an amount effective to passivate a minor amount of active sites provided by nickel in said catalyst and to provide a total sulfur to nickel mole ratio of from 1:1 to 1:10; (c) supplying a feedstock containing at least one alkylaromatic compound into contact with said pretreated catalyst under conditions effective for the disproportionation of said alkyl aromatic compound in the presence of hydrogen at a mole ratio of hydrogen and hydrocarbon of about 3:1 to produce a transalkylated product of said alkyl aromatic compound; and (d) removing said transalkylation product from contact with said nickel-modified mordenite disproportionation catalyst.