Liquid phase process for C8 alkylaromatic isomerization

摘要

A liquid or partially liquid phase process for isomerizing a non-equilibrium mixture of xylenes and ethylbenzene uses a zeolitic catalyst system preferably based on zeolite beta and on pentasil-type zeolite. The invention obtains an improved yield of para-xylene from the mixture relative to prior art processes in a more economical manner. A preferred beta zeolite is a surface-modified zeolite beta resulting from acid washing of a templated native zeolite at conditions insufficient to effect bulk dealumination. A preferred pentasil zeolite is a MTW-type with a silica-to-alumnina ratio between 20 and 45.