Process for the preparation of ethyl benzene

Patent · Sat Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:870213

Arganbright, Robert P ^[1]; Hearn, Dennis ^[1]

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1. Houston, TX

Ethyl benzene is produced in a catalyst bed under 0.25 to 50 atmospheres of pressure and at temperatures in the range of 50.degree. C. to 300.degree. C., using as the catalyst a mole sieve characterized as acidic by feeding ethylene to the catalyst bed while benzene is conveniently added through the reflux to result in a molar excess present in the reactor to that required to react with ethylene, thereby reacting substantially all of the ethylene and recovering benzene as the principal overhead and ethyl benzene and diethyl benzene in the bottoms. The bottoms are fractionated, the ethyl benzene recovered and the bottoms are contacted with benzene in the liquid phase in a fixed bed straight pass reactor under conditions to transalkylate the benzene thereby converting most of the diethyl benzene to ethyl benzene which is again separated and recovered.

• Research Organization: CR & L/NEOCHEM JOINT VENTURE
• DOE Contract Number: FC07-80CS40454
• Assignee: Chemical Research & Licensing Company (Pasadena, TX)
• Patent Number(s): US 5476978
• OSTI ID: 870213
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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25
300
50
acidic
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bottoms
catalyst
catalyst bed
characterized
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contacted
conveniently
conveniently added
converting
degree
diethyl
ethyl
ethyl benzene
ethylene
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fixed
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fractionated
liquid
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molar
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mole
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pressure
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principal overhead
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react
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reacting substantially
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recovered
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recovering benzene
reflux
required
result
separated
sieve
sieve characterized
straight
substantially
temperatures
transalkylate