Heavy alkylbenzene transalkylation operating cost reduction

A continuous process for the production of linear alkylbenzenes, comprising

• continuously supplying benzene and a mixture of linear olefin to an alkylation zone at alkylation conditions in the presence of a catalyst, wherein the linear olefins have between 8 and 16 carbon atoms, thereby generating an alkylation effluent stream comprising benzene, linear monoalkylbenzenes and heavy alkylbenzenes;
• separating the effluent stream in to a first stream comprising benzene, a second stream comprising linear monoalkylbenzenes and a third stream comprising heavy alkylbenzenes;
• continuously supplying benzene and the third stream to a transalkylation zone at transalkylation conditions in the presence of a catalyst, thereby creating a transalkylation effluent stream comprising benzene, heavy alkylbenzenes and monoalkylbenzenes;
• and
• passing a portion of the transalkylation effluent stream as a recycle stream back to the transalkylation zone, without separation of the components in the effluent stream.