Patent ID: 8273935

Claim:
A process for the isomerization of a non-equilibrium C 8 -aromatic feedstock comprising contacting the feedstock with a catalyst comprising an MFI zeolitic aluminosilicate having a median particle size between 1.2 to 1.7 microns, a platinum-group metal component, and an aluminum phosphate binder in an isomerization zone at isomerization conditions comprising a temperature of from about 320° C. to 500° C., a pressure of less than about 500 kPa, and a mass hourly space velocity of from about 5 to 50 hr −1 in the presence of a critical added amount of hydrogen on a once-through basis in a molar ratio relative to the feedstock of from about 0.05 to 0.1 to obtain an isomerized product comprising a higher proportion of para-xylene than in the feedstock.