Patent ID: 7148391

Claim:
A process for converting C 9 + aromatic hydrocarbons to lighter aromatic products, comprising the step of contacting a feed comprising C 9 + aromatic hydrocarbons under transalkylation reaction conditions with a catalyst composition comprising: (i) a first molecular sieve consisting of ZSM-12, wherein the ZSM-12 has a composition involving the molar relationship: X 2 O 3 :( n )YO 2 wherein X is a trivalent element, Y is a tetravalent element and n is less than 60, an average crystal size of less than 0.1 micron, and a Diffusion Parameter, D/r 2 , for mesitylene of at least 1000×10 −6 sec −1 when measured at a temperature of 100° C. and a mesitylene pressure of 2 torr; and (ii) a second molecular sieve having a constraint index ranging from 3 to 12, wherein at least the first molecular sieve has a hydrogenation component associated therewith and wherein the first and second molecular sieves are contained in the same catalyst bed, the C 9 + aromatic hydrocarbons being converted under said transalkylation reaction conditions to a reaction product containing xylene.