Patent ID: 7385098

Claim:
A process for alkylating an aromatic hydrocarbon reactant with an alkylating agent to produce an alkylated aromatic product, said process comprising: (a) introducing said aromatic hydrocarbon reactant and said alkylating agent into a reactor unit containing a plurality of sequentially arranged beds comprised of a first bed containing a first catalyst effective for alkylating said aromatic hydrocarbon reactant and a second bed downstream from said first bed and containing a second catalyst effective for alkylating said aromatic hydrocarbon reactant and having less catalytic activity than said first catalyst; (b) alkylating in said first bed under alkylation conditions said aromatic hydrocarbon reactant with said alkylating agent to form a first effluent comprising a mono-alkylaromatic compound, an unreacted portion of the aromatic hydrocarbon reactant, and polyalkylated aromatic compounds: (c) alkylating in said second bed under alkylation conditions at least a portion of said unreacted aromatic hydrocarbon reactant present in said effluent with said alkylating agent to form a product effluent: and d) removing said product effluent from said reactor unit, said product effluent comprising a mono-alkylaromatic compound, an unreacted portion of the aromatic hydrocarbon reactant, and polyalkylated aromatic compounds, wherein the first catalyst has an alpha value greater than the alpha value of the second catalyst and wherein the first catalyst and the second catalyst comprise ZSM-5.