PROCESS FOR PRODUCING ALKYLBENZENE

摘要

A process for producing an alkylbenzene from an alkylphenyl alcohol comprising the steps of: (a) feeding a feed stream comprising alkylphenyl a reactor having a catalytic distillation zone; and, (b) concurrently in the reactor (i) contacting the feed stream comprising alkylphenyl alcohol with hydrogen in the catalytic distillation zone to convert alkylphenyl alcohol to alkylbenzene over a catalyst comprising Group VIII or a Group IB metal; and, (ii) separating alkylbenzene from the reaction mixture by fractional distillation to produce an overhead stream comprising alkylbenzene having a reduced concentration of alkylphenyl alcohol than the feed stream from the distillation column reactor. Examples of the alkylphenyl alcohol include cumyl alcohol, phenyl ethyl alcohol, or di(2-hydroxyl 2-propyl)benzene, and that for the alkylbenzene include cumene and di­ethyl benzene, or di(2-hydroxyl-2-propyl) benzene.