Patent ID: 7847138

Claim:
A process for converting ethylbenzene to styrene, comprising: flowing a feed composition comprising ethylbenzene in at least one styrene-forming process microchannel in contact with at least one catalyst to dehydrogenate the ethylbenzene and form a product comprising styrene; exchanging heat between the process microchannel and at least one heat exchange channel in thermal contact with the process microchannel; and removing product from the process microchannel; wherein the ethylbenzene is formed by contacting benzene with ethylene in the presence of at least one alkylation catalyst; and the ethylbenzene is formed in at least one ethylbenzene-forming process microchannel, the styrene-forming process microchannel and the ethylbenzene-forming process microchannel being the same or different.