Imperial Chemical Industries Limited

John R Bamforth

Raymond Higgins

A process for the dimerization and cyclization of isobutene to form, as preferred product, paraxylene in which the whole of the product of isobutene dimerization (including unreacted feedstock) is contacted with a catalyst for the cyclization of the isobutene dimer. The process is operable in a single dimerization/cyclization stage or in separate dimerization and cyclization stages with no intermediate separation of products. Optionally, the isobutene feedstock is provided by dehydrogenation of isobutane, unreacted isobutane in the resulting feedstock being carried through the dimerization/cyclization and eventually recycled.

Production of aromatic hydrocarbons

Compounds of formula R.sub.1 R.sub.2 C .dbd. CR.sub.3 CHR.sub.4 R.sub.5 wherein R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.4 and R.sub.5 are selected individually from hydrogen, akyl, aryl, cyano, cyclohexyl, halide groups and substituted derivatives of these groups are oxidatively dimerized in the presence of a partially reduced bismuth oxide catalyst, the average degree of reduction of bismuth oxide being 1 to 70%, and in the presence of oxygen, the oxygen conversion being in the range 90 to 99%.

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Middlesbrough, United Kingdom

John R Bamforth