Catalyst composition for transalkylation of alkylaromatic hydrocarbons and process for production of xylene

A catalyst composition for transalkylation of aromatic hydrocarbons comprising:

• (a) 100 pbw of a hydrogen-type mordenite;
• (b) 40-150 pbw of at least one support member selected from the group consisting of an inorganic oxide and a clay;
• and
• (c) a substance comprising rhenium, said substance being present in an amount ranging from about 0.1 to 2.0 parts by weight of said rhenium, expressed as weight of metal, per 100 parts by weight of said support member, said rhenium being present in an amount of at least 0.05 parts, expressed as metal, per 100 parts of said mordenite,
• whereby said catalyst has the ability to achieve a conversion of ethyltoluene to toluene of higher than 50% under the following conditions:
• ratio of ethyltoluene to (trimethylbenzene plus ethvltoluene)=35 wt %
• Reactions conditions:
• Temperature:
• 400.degree. C.
• Pressure:
• 3 Mpa-G
• WHSV (weight space velocity):
• 2.1 h.sup.-1
• H2/feedstock:
• 4.0 mol/mol
• Percent conversion of ethyltoluene (wt %)=(A-B)/A.times.100
• where
• A:
• concentration of ethyltoluene in feedstock (wt %)
• B:
• concentration of ethvltoluene after reaction (wt %).