Patent ID: 6841712

Claim:
A process for the dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene to styrene which comprises: (a) reacting the ethylbenzene mixed with an inert gas in a fluid-bed reactor, in the presence of a catalytic system consisting of iron oxide and promoters supported on alumina modified with 0.01-10% by weight of silica and operating at a temperature ranging from 400 to 700° C., at a total pressure of 10.13 to 303.9 Kpa (absolute) (0.1 to 3 ata) and with a GHSV space velocity ranging from 50 to 10,000 h −1 (normal liters of a mixture of ethylbenzene and inert gas/h×liter of catalyst); and (b) regenerating and heating the catalyst in a regenerator at a temperature exceeding 400° C. wherein, the promoter is at least one selected from the group consisting of alkali, alkaline-earth, and lanthanide metal.