Patent ID: 8258360

Claim:
A process for producing an alkylated aromatic product which comprises ethylbenzene or cumene in a first reaction zone of an alkylation reactor, comprising the steps of: (a) co-currently feeding a predominantly liquid phase first feedstock which comprises benzene and an at least partially vapor phase second feedstock which comprises at least one alkene compound selected from the group consisting of ethylene and propylene and at least one alkane compound selected from the group consisting of methane, ethane, and propane, to an inlet portion of said first reaction zone, wherein said first reaction zone is operated under conditions sufficient to ensure that the mixture of said first feedstock and said second feedstock is in mixed phase in at least a portion of said reaction zone; and (b) contacting said feedstock mixture and a first alkylation catalyst which comprises a molecular sieve selected from the group consisting of MCM-22, MCM-36, MCM-49 and MCM-56, beta zeolite, faujasite, mordenite, PSH-3, SSZ-25, ERB-1, ITQ-1, ITQ-2, zeolite Y, Ultrastable Y (USY), Dealuminized Y (DealY), rare earth exchanged Y (REY), ZSM-3, ZSM-4, ZSM-18, ZSM-20, and any combination thereof, in said first reaction zone, to produce a first effluent which comprises said alkylated aromatic product and polyalkylated aromatic compounds, wherein said first effluent exits said reaction zone in at least 95 wt. % liquid phase in the presence of said alkane, downstream of said inlet portion of said reaction zone; and wherein said conditions of said reaction zone are sufficient to ensure a phase change from mixed phase to liquid phase in at least a portion of said first reaction zone.