ALKYLATION OF ORGANIC AROMATIC COMPOUND

摘要

Aromatic compounds are alkylated in a catalytic distillation, wherein the catalyst structure also serves as a distillation component by contacting the aromatic compound with a C2 to C10 olefin in the catalyst bed (12) under 0.25 to 50 atmospheres of pressure and at temperatures in the range of 80 DEG C to 500 DEG C, using as the catalyst a mole sieve characterized as acidic or an acidic cation exchange resin. For example, ethyl benzene is produced by feeding ethylene (8) to about the mid point of the catalyst bed while benzene (14) is conveniently added through the reflux in molar excess to that required to react with ethylene, thereby reacting substantially all of the ethylene and recovering benzene as the principal overhead (20) and ethyl benzene in the bottoms (18).