Abstract: The present invention provides an improved process for producing an alkylated aromatic compound from an at least partially untreated alkylatable aromatic compound having catalyst poisons and an alkylating agent, wherein said alkylatable aromatic compound stream is treated to reduce catalyst poisons with a treatment composition having a surface area/surface volume ratio of greater than or equal to 30 in?1 (12 cm?1) in a treatment zone separate from an alkylation reaction zone under treatment conditions including a temperature of from about 30° C. to about 300° C. to form an effluent comprising said treated alkylatable aromatic compound.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for determining when to replace a guard bed material used to remove one or more catalyst poisons from a feed based on a parameter change in a process. A guard bed having a guard bed material is in fluid communication with a catalyst bed having a catalyst. At least three monitors are positioned in said guard bed or said catalyst bed and at least one parameter of the guard bed or catalyst bed is monitored. A feed component comprising one or more catalyst poisons is supplied to said guard bed or said catalyst bed. The feed is contacted with said guard bed material or said catalyst to remove at least a portion of a catalyst poison and to form a product which produces an increase or a decrease in said parameter. The monitored parameters are compared to determine when to replace the guard bed material.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved process for producing an alkylated aromatic compound from an at least partially untreated alkylatable aromatic compound having catalyst poisons, wherein said alkylatable aromatic compound stream is treated to reduce catalyst poisons with a treatment composition having a surface area/surface volume ratio of greater than or equal to 30 in?1 (12 cm?1) in a treatment zone separate from an alkylation reaction zone under treatment conditions including a temperature of from about 30° C. to about 300° C. to form an effluent comprising said treated alkylatable aromatic compound.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved process for the catalytic conversion of a feedstock comprising an alkylatable aromatic compound and an alkylating agent to form a conversion product comprising the desired alkylaromatic compound by contacting said feedstock in at least partial liquid phase under catalytic conversion conditions with a catalyst composition comprising a porous crystalline material having a structure type of FAU, BEA* or MWW, or a mixture thereof, wherein the porous crystalline material has a Relative Activity measured at 220° C. as an RA220 of at least 7.5 or measured at 180° C. as RA180 of at least 2.5, allowing operation at lower reaction pressures, e.g., a reaction pressure of about 450 psig (3102 kPa) or less, and lower alkylating agent feed supply pressure of 450 psig (3102 kPa) or less.

Abstract: A process for producing a monoalkylated aromatic product in a reactor by reacting a mixed phase mixture of an alkylatable aromatic compound feedstock with another feedstock comprising alkene component in a reaction zone containing an alkylation catalyst. An effluent comprising the monoalkylated aromatic product and polyalkylated aromatic compounds exits from the reaction zone in liquid phase. The polyalkylated aromatic compounds can be separated as feed stream for transalkylation reaction in a transalkylation reaction zone.

Abstract: Disclosed are ethylbenzene processes in which a series-arranged or combined vapor phase alkylation/transalkylation reaction zone is retrofitted to have a vapor phase alkylation reactor and a liquid phase transalkylation reactor, and in which a parallel-arranged vapor phase alkylation reactor and vapor phase transalkylation reactor is retrofitted to have a vapor phase alkylation reactor and liquid phase transalkylation reactor, wherein the xylenes content of the ethylbenzene product is less than 700 wppm.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for the production of alkylated aromatics by contacting a feed stream comprising an alkylatable aromatic, an alkylating agent and trace amounts of water and impurities in the presence of first and second alkylation catalysts wherein the water and impurities are removed in order to improve the cycle length of such alkylation catalysts. Water and a portion of impurities are removed in a dehydration zone. A first alkylation zone having a first alkylation catalyst which, in some embodiments is a large pore molecular sieve, acts to remove a larger portion of impurities, such as nitrogenous and other species, and to alkylate a smaller portion of the alkylatable aromatic compound. A second alkylation zone, which in some embodiments is a medium pore molecular sieve, acts to remove a smaller portion of impurities, and to alkylate a larger portion of the alkylatable aromatic compound.

Abstract: Disclosed are ethylbenzene processes in which a series-arranged or combined vapor phase alkylation/transalkylation reaction zone is retrofitted to have a vapor phase alkylation reactor and a liquid phase transalkylation reactor, and in which a parallel-arranged vapor phase alkylation reactor and vapor phase transalkylation reactor is retrofitted to have a vapor phase alkylation reactor and liquid phase transalkylation reactor, wherein the xylenes content of the ethylbenzene product is less than 700 wppm.

Abstract: Disclosed are ethylbenzene processes in which a series-arranged or combined vapor phase alkylation/transalkylation reaction zone is retrofitted to have a vapor phase alkylation reactor and a liquid phase transalkylation reactor, and in which a parallel-arranged vapor phase alkylation reactor and vapor phase transalkylation reactor is retrofitted to have a vapor phase alkylation reactor and liquid phase transalkylation reactor, wherein the xylenes content of the ethylbenzene product is less than 700 wppm.

Abstract: A process for producing an alkylated aromatic compound from polyalkylated aromatic compound(s) having bi-alkylated aromatic compound(s) and tri-alkylated aromatic compound(s), comprising the step of contacting alkylatable aromatic compound(s) with the polyalkylated aromatic compound(s) at a transalkylation condition in the presence of a transalkylation catalyst. The transalkylation catalyst has high activity sufficient to achieve a ratio of bi-alkylated aromatic compound(s) conversion over tri-alkylated aromatic compound(s) conversion in a range of from about 0.5 to about 2.5.

Abstract: A process for alkylation or transalkylation of an alkylatable aromatic compound having reactive impurities with an alkylating agent to produce a monoalkylated aromatic compound, comprising the steps of contacting at least a portion of said alkylatable aromatic compounds and said alkylating agent with a first molecular sieve catalyst in a guard bed under suitable conditions to remove said reactive impurities and form a first effluent comprising monoalkylated aromatic compound, unreacted alkylatable aromatic compounds and unreacted alkylating agent; contacting said first effluent with a second molecular sieve catalyst different from said first molecular sieve catalyst in said reaction zone under suitable alkylation or transalkylation conditions to produce additional said monoalkylated aromatic compounds; and maintaining said water content from about 1 wppm to about 10 wt.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for producing an alkylaromatic compound in a multistage reaction system comprising at least first and second series-connected alkylation reaction zones, each containing an alkylation catalyst. A first feed comprising an alkylatable aromatic compound and a second feed comprising an alkene are introduced into the first alkylation reaction zone. The first and second alkylation reaction zones are operated under conditions of temperature and pressure effective to cause alkylation of the aromatic compound with the alkene in the presence of the alkylation catalyst, the temperature and pressure being such that the aromatic compound is at least partly in the liquid phase. The alkylation catalyst in the first alkylation reaction zone, which may be a reactor guard bed, has more acid sites per unit volume of catalyst than the alkylation catalyst in the second reaction zone.

Abstract: Disclosed are ethylbenzene processes in which a series-arranged or combined vapor phase alkylation/transalkylation reaction zone is retrofitted to have a vapor phase alkylation reactor and a liquid phase transalkylation reactor, and in which a parallel-arranged vapor phase alkylation reactor and vapor phase transalkylation reactor is retrofitted to have a vapor phase alkylation reactor and liquid phase transalkylation reactor, wherein the xylenes content of the ethylbenzene product is less than 700 wppm.

Abstract: A process is described for producing an alkylaromatic compound, in which a first feed comprising an alkylatable aromatic compound and a second feed comprising an alkene are introduced into a first alkylation reaction zone comprising a first alkylation catalyst. The first alkylation reaction zone is operated under conditions effective to cause alkylation of the alkylatable aromatic compound by the alkene to produce said alkylaromatic compound, the conditions being such that the alkylatable aromatic compound is at least predominantly in the vapor phase. A first effluent comprising the alkylaromatic compound and unreacted alkylatable aromatic compound is withdrawn from the first alkylation reaction zone and at least part of the unreacted alkylatable aromatic compound is treated to remove catalyst poisons therefrom and produce a treated unreacted alkylatable aromatic stream.

Abstract: A process for alkylation or transalkylation of an alkylatable aromatic compound having reactive impurities with an alkylating agent to produce a monoalkylated aromatic compound, comprising the steps of contacting at least a portion of said alkylatable aromatic compounds and said alkylating agent with a first molecular sieve catalyst in a guard bed under suitable conditions to remove said reactive impurities and form a first effluent comprising monoalkylated aromatic compound, unreacted alkylatable aromatic compounds and unreacted alkylating agent; contacting said first effluent with a second molecular sieve catalyst different from said first molecular sieve catalyst in said reaction zone under suitable alkylation or transalkylation conditions to produce additional said monoalkylated aromatic compounds; and maintaining said water content from about 1 wppm to about 10 wt.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for producing an alkylaromatic compound in a multistage reaction system comprising at least first and second series-connected alkylation reaction zones, each containing an alkylation catalyst. A first feed comprising an alkylatable aromatic compound and a second feed comprising an alkene are introduced into the first alkylation reaction zone. The first and second alkylation reaction zones are operated under conditions of temperature and pressure effective to cause alkylation of the aromatic compound with the alkene in the presence of the alkylation catalyst, the temperature and pressure being such that the aromatic compound is at least partly in the liquid phase. The alkylation catalyst in the first alkylation reaction zone, which may be a reactor guard bed, has more acid sites per unit volume of catalyst than the alkylation catalyst in the second reaction zone.

Abstract: A process for alkylation of an alkylatable aromatic compound to produce a monoalkylated aromatic compound, comprising the steps of (a) contacting at least one the alkylatable aromatic compound and at least one the alkylating agent with at least one molecular sieve catalyst under suitable alkylation or transalkylation conditions in at least one reaction zone, to produce at least one effluent which comprises the monoalkylated aromatic compound, wherein the suitable alkylation or transalkylation conditions comprise a water content being in a range from about 1 wppm to about 10 wt. % based on the combined weight of the alkylatable aromatic compound and the alkylating agent; and (b) maintaining the water content in the reaction zone; wherein the cycle length of the molecular sieve catalyst operated inside the range of the water content is greater than the cycle length of the molecular sieve catalyst operated outside the range of the water content.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for producing an alkylaromatic compound in a multistage reaction system comprising at least first and second series-connected alkylation reaction zones, each containing an alkylation catalyst. A first feed comprising an alkylatable aromatic compound and a second feed comprising an alkene are introduced into the first alkylation reaction zone. The first and second alkylation reaction zones are operated under conditions of temperature and pressure effective to cause alkylation of the aromatic compound with the alkene in the presence of the alkylation catalyst, the temperature and pressure being such that the aromatic compound is at least partly in the liquid phase. The alkylation catalyst in the first alkylation reaction zone, which may be a reactor guard bed, has more acid sites per unit volume of catalyst than the alkylation catalyst in the second reaction zone.

Abstract: A process is described for producing an alkylaromatic compound, in which a first feed comprising an alkylatable aromatic compound and a second feed comprising an alkene are introduced into a first alkylation reaction zone comprising a first alkylation catalyst. The first alkylation reaction zone is operated under conditions effective to cause alkylation of the alkylatable aromatic compound by the alkene to produce said alkylaromatic compound, the conditions being such that the alkylatable aromatic compound is at least predominantly in the vapor phase. A first effluent comprising the alkylaromatic compound and unreacted alkylatable aromatic compound is withdrawn from the first alkylation reaction zone and at least part of the unreacted alkylatable aromatic compound is treated to remove catalyst poisons therefrom and produce a treated unreacted alkylatable aromatic stream.

Abstract: A process for producing an alkylated aromatic compound from polyalkylated aromatic compound(s) having bi-alkylated aromatic compound(s) and tri-alkylated aromatic compound(s), comprising the step of contacting alkylatable aromatic compound(s) with the polyalkylated aromatic compound(s) at a transalkylation condition in the presence of a transalkylation catalyst. The transalkylation catalyst has high activity sufficient to achieve a ratio of bi-alkylated aromatic compound(s) conversion over tri-alkylated aromatic compound(s) conversion in a range of from about 0.5 to about 2.5.