Selective ethylation of xylene with a metal-modified, crystalline borosilicate molecular sieve

摘要

Described is a process for selectively converting xylene in the gas phase with an ethylating agent under hydrocarbon conversion conditions to a highly pure 3,4-dimethylethylbenzene product in the presence of a catalyst composition comprising a metal-ion-modified, crystalline borosilicate molecular sieve in which the metal is intimately associated with the framework silica lattice, composited in an inorganic matrix.