TOLUENE DISPROPORTIONATION CATALYST

摘要

A process for the disproportionation of a toluene containing feedstock employing a nickel modified mordcnite catalyst comprising particulate mordenite having nickel dispersed throughout the catalyst particles to provide surface nickel and interior nickel within the mordenite crystal structure. The catalyst is pretreated Io selectively deactivate the surface nickel to provide a surface nickel content of reduced catalytic activity. The interior nickel lhus has a higher catalytic activity than the surface nickel. The feedstock is supplied to a reaction zone containing the catalyst to cause disproportionation of toluene in the feedstock to produce a mixture of benzene and xylene. The non-aromatic content of the product is less than the non-aromatic content of a corresponding disproportionation product which would be produced by the disproportionation of the fecdstream in the presence of a corresponding nickel mordenite catalyst which has not been pretreated.