| abstract |
PCT No. PCT/US97/17844 Sec. 371 Date Feb. 17, 1998 Sec. 102(e) Date Feb. 17, 1998 PCT Filed Oct. 1, 1997 PCT Pub. No. WO98/14417 PCT Pub. Date Apr. 9, 1998A zeolite-based ethylbenzene process which is suitable for retrofitting aluminum chloride-based ethylbenzene plants. The process involves alkylating benzene with ethylene in an alkylation zone in the presence of zeolite beta or Y or an MCM zeolite so as to produce an alkylation product mixture containing benzene, ethylbenzene, and polyethylbenzenes which can be separated in the aromatics recovery (distillation) stage of an aluminum chloride-based plant. The polyethylbenzenes are subsequently contacted with benzene in a transalkylation zone using zeolite beta or mordenite or Y so as to produce a transalkylation product mixture which is also separable in the aromatics recovery stage of an aluminum chloride-based plant. |