Badger Licensing LLC

Stone & Webster, Inc.

Dana E Johnson

Shyh-Yuan Henry Hwang

Chung-Ming Chi

Waheed Mukaddam

Francis A Demers

Maruti Bhandarkar

Joseph C Peters

Richard F Guarino

Shyh-Yuan Hwang

Kevin J Fallon

Frank Demers

Waheed A Mukaddam

Shyh-Yuan H Hwang

Maruti Vk Balur Bhandarkar

A process is described for producing cumene comprising contacting benzene and a C3 alkylating agent under alkylation conditions with an alkylation catalyst in an alkylation zone to produce an alkylation effluent comprising cumene and alkylaromatic compounds heavier than cumene. Cumene is recovered from the alkylation effluent to leave a byproduct stream containing the alkylaromatic compounds heavier than cumene, which is separated into a polyisopropylbenzene-containing stream, an aromatic overhead stream, and a bottoms product. At least part of the aromatic overhead stream is recycled to the alkylation zone to reduce raw material consumption and improve cumene yield.

Process for producing cumene

A process is described for producing cumene comprising contacting a feed stream comprising benzene and a further feed stream comprising isopropanol or a mixture of isopropanol and propylene in the presence of an alkylation catalyst comprising at least a molecular sieve of the MCM-22, family in an alkylation zone under alkylation conditions of at least partial liquid phase and with a water concentration in the liquid phase of at least 50 ppm to react at least part of said isopropanol and benzene to produce an effluent stream containing cumene.

Improved integrated processes for the production of alkyl aromatic compounds are disclosed wherein aromatic compounds which may be treated for removal of deleterious substances are reacted with olefin compounds, which may also be treated for contaminant removal, in the presence of acidic zeolite catalyst(s) to produce the desired alkyl aromatic compound(s). The aromatic and preferably also the olefin feeds are treated substantially to remove contaminants, particularly the nitrogen compounds contained therein, before they are brought together for reaction in the presence of the zeolite catalyst(s). In accordance with the present invention, it has been found that feed pretreatment for removal of nitrogen compounds significantly improves the run length and life of the acidic zeolite catalyst(s). The feed pretreatment of this invention may include the steps of distillation, extraction, and/or adsorption by solid adsorbent, which may be regenerated in accordance with further embodiments of this invention.

Production of alkyl aromatic compounds

Improved processes are provided for the production of alkyl aromatic compounds using zeolite catalyst(s) and for periodic reactivation in situ of zeolite catalyst(s) that have at least in part become deactivated. Processes according to this invention are typically carried out in a reaction section loaded with catalyst(s) wherein a desired alkyl aromatic compound is produced from feed aromatic and olefin compounds followed by a separation section in which the desired product is isolated and recovered. Alkylation, transalkylation, and/or isomerization reactions that occur in the reaction section are carried out in liquid phase or partial liquid phase over the said zeolite catalyst(s). At least a portion of the zeolite catalyst(s) employed in the reaction section is (are) reactivated in situ, periodically or when deemed necessary, by contacting the deactivated catalyst(s), at elevated temperature and in the substantial absence of olefin feedstock, with an aromatic stripping stream comprising the feed aromatic compound, the desired alkyl aromatic product, byproducts formed in the process, or mixtures thereof, to restore its (their) activity.

Production of alkyl aromatic compounds with catalyst reactivation

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Hopkinton, MA, United States of America

Dana E Johnson