Patent ID: 7304194

Claim:
A method of preparing an alkyl aromatic product comprising: treating a ZSM-5 zeolite catalyst having a silica/alumina mole ratio of at least about 200 with a phosphorus compound; calcining the phosphorus treated ZSM-5 zeolite catalyst; steaming the phosphorus treated ZSM-5 zeolite catalyst with steam at a temperature of less than about 300° C., and wherein the phosphorus treated ZSM-5 zeolite catalyst has less than 0.05% by weight of the catalyst of any other element other than phosphorus provided from any treatment of the ZSM-5 zeolite with a compound containing said other element; contacting the catalyst with feed of an aromatic hydrocarbon and an alkylating agent within a reactor under reactor conditions suitable for aromatic alkylation; and introducing water cofeed into the reactor during the aromatic alkylation reaction.