Patent ID: 7432405

Claim:
A process for the selective production of meta-diisopropylbenzene and para-diisopropylbenzene by cumene disproportionation, said process comprising the steps of contacting cumene under disproportionation conditions with a catalyst comprising a TEA-mordenite molecular sieve, to disproportionate cumene with cumene to produce a disproportionation effluent containing benzene and a mixture of diisopropylbenzene isomers which is comprised of ortho-diisopropylbenzene, meta-diisopropylbenzene and para-diisopropylbenzene, and then recovering said effluent, wherein said effluent, prior to any separation step, has a meta-diisopropylbenzene to ortho-diisopropylbenzene ratio in excess of about 700, wherein said disproportionation conditions are sufficient to maintain cumene disproportionation conversion of greater than 35 wt. %, wherein said TEA-mordenite molecular sieve has an average crystal size of less than 0.5 micron and a silica alumina molar ratio of about 25 to about 50, and wherein said TEA-mordenite molecular sieve is free of sulfided Group VIII hydrogenation metal and said TEA-mordenite molecular sieve is not subjected to acid leaching.