Versalis S.p.a.

Giovanni Antonio Fois

Roberto Buzzoni

Elena Bencini

Alessandro Casalini

Alessandro Del Seppia

Paolo Calaresu

A process for treating mixtures containing polyalkylaromatic hydrocarbons, intended for transalkylation processes, includes a mild reduction with hydrogen in the presence of a suitable hydrogenation catalyst. The process also relates to a transalkylation process of polyalkylaromatic hydrocarbons having the treatment.

Process for treating polyalkylaromatic hydrocarbons

The invention relates to a process for producing olefins from alcohols by means of catalytic dehydration. More in particular, the present invention relates to a process for producing at least one olefin by dehydrating at least one alcohol having a number of carbon atoms comprised between 2 and 6, preferably comprised between 2 and 4, more preferably at least one alcohol having a number of carbon atoms of 3, even more preferably 2-propanol, in the presence of a catalytic material comprising at least one large pore zeolite in acid form, or predominantly acid form, preferably selected from the group consisting of zeolites having BEA structure, MTW structure and mixtures thereof, and preferably at least one inorganic binder, more preferably alumina. Preferably, the olefin has the same number of carbon atoms as the starting alcohol. Furthermore, preferably the olefin does not contain conjugated double bonds and more preferably the olefin is a mono-olefin. Subject matter of the present invention is also the use of the aforementioned olefin in an alkylation process of aromatic hydrocarbons, in particular the use of propylene for alkylating benzene to provide cumene. The aforementioned cumene can be used in an integrated process for preparing phenol and acetone, in accordance with the Hock method, wherein acetone can be reduced to 2-propanol, to be recycled to the process of the invention to obtain propylene again.

Process for producing olefins from alcohols

The invention relates to a new catalytic composition for the alkylation of aromatic compounds with alcohols, or mixtures of alcohols and corresponding olefins, wherein said composition comprises a zeolite of the MTW type and is characterized in that it contains one or more alkaline metals in a total quantity which is less than or equal to 0.02% by weight. The use of said catalyst in the alkylation of aromatic compounds with alcohols, in particular benzene with isopropanol or ethanol, allows the formation, as by-product, of the aldehyde or ketone corresponding to the alcohol used, to be minimized: the formation of reaction by-products of said aldehydes or ketones having a boiling point very close to that of polyalkylation products, is therefore significantly reduced. This provides a considerable advantage in the subsequent transalkylation step for the recovery of said polyalkylates by transformation into the corresponding monoalkylates.

Catalytic composition and process using it for the alkylation of aromatic hydrocarbons with alcohols, or mixtures of alcohols and olefins

Process for the alkylation of aromatic hydrocarbons by means of aliphatic alcohols containing from 1 to 8 carbon atoms, which comprises feeding the hydrocarbon and alcohol to the head of a fixed-bed reactor, operating with 'trickle flow' regime, containing at least one layer of a catalyst comprising a zeolite selected from medium-pore zeolites and large-pore zeolites.

Process for the alkylation of aromatic hydrocarbons with C1-C8 alcohols

Process for the alkylation of aromatic hydrocarbons by means of olefins containing from 2 to 8 carbon atoms, which comprises feeding the hydrocarbon, olefin, and possibly water, to the head of a fixed-bed reactor, operating with a 'trickle flow' regime, containing at least one layer of a catalyst comprising a medium-or large-pore zeolite.

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Borgo Virgilio, Italy

Giovanni Antonio Fois