Alkylbenzene detergents with high 2-isomer content

A composition of matter comprising alkylbenzenes, which are prepared according to a process comprising:

• a) dehydrogenating a paraffin to form an olefin;
• b) sending a feed stream of benzene and the olefin through a conduit to an alkylbenzenes alkylation reactor containing a fluorine-containing mordenite and a second alkylation catalyst, wherein the second alkylation catalyst has a selectivity to the 2-phenyl isomer of the alkylbenzenes less than the selectivity of the fluorine-containing mordenite;
• c) reacting the benzene and olefin in the reactor to form a crude alkylbenzenes stream;
• d) distilling the crude alkylbenzenes stream in a first distillation column to separate benzene that did not react and to form a benzene-free alkylbenzenes stream;
• e) distilling the benzene-free alkylbenzenes stream in a second distillation column to separate any paraffin present and to form a paraffin-free alkylbenzenes stream;
• f) distilling the paraffin-free alkylbenzene stream in a third distillation column to provide an overhead of a purified alkylbenzene stream and removing a bottoms stream containing heavies.

A composition of matter comprising alkylbenzenes, which are prepared according to a process comprising:

• a) contacting benzene and an olefin having about 8 to about 30 carbon atoms in the presence of a fluorine-containing mordenite to form a first alkylbenzene stream;
• b) contacting benzene and an olefin having about 8 to about 30 carbon atoms in the presence of an alkylation catalyst other than the fluorine-containing mordenite to form a second alkylbenzene stream;
• c) combining the first alkylbenzene stream and the second alkylbenzene stream to form a third alkylbenzene stream,
• wherein the mordenite has been treated by contacting the mordenite with an aqueous hydrogen fluoride solution, wherein the hydrogen fluoride in the aqueous solution has a concentration in the range from about 0.1 percent to about 1 percent by weight.

A composition of matter comprising alkylbenzenes, which are prepared according to a process comprising:

• a) introducing an aromatic compound having from about 6 to about 30 carbon atoms and an olefin having from about 8 to about 30 carbon atoms above a catalyst bed containing an alkylation catalyst;
• b) contacting the olefin and the aromatic compound in the presence of the alkylation catalyst under conditions such that the olefin and the aromatic compound react to form an alkylated aromatic compound;
• c) allowing the alkylated aromatic compound an any unreacted aromatic compound to descend into a reboiler from the catalyst bed;
• d) withdrawing the alkylated aromatic compound from the reboiler;
• and
• e) heating the contents of the reboiler such that the aromatic compound refluxes to contact the catalyst bed.

A composition of matter comprising alkylbenzenes, which are prepared according to a process comprising:

• a) introducing an aromatic compound having from about 6 to about 30 carbon atoms and an olefin having from about 8 to about 30 carbon atoms above a catalyst bed containing an alkylation catalyst;
• b) contacting the olefin and the aromatic compound in the presence of the alkylation catalyst under conditions such that the olefin and the aromatic compound react to form an alkylated aromatic compound;
• c) allowing the alkylated aromatic compound an any unreacted aromatic compound to descend into a reboiler from the catalyst bed;
• d) withdrawing the alkylated aromatic compound from the reboiler;
• and
• e) heating the contents of the reboiler such that the aromatic compound refluxes to contact the catalyst bed,
• wherein the process produces a selectivity to a 2-phenyl isomer in the alkylated aromatic compound of at least about 70 mole percent.

A composition of matter comprising alkylbenzenes, which are prepared according to a process comprising:

• a) introducing a feed comprising olefin having about 8 to about 30 carbon atoms and benzene into a catalyst consisting essentially of fluorine-containing mordenite catalyst bed under conditions such that monoalkylated benzene is produced;
• b) allowing benzene, olefin, and monoalkylated benzene to descend into a reboiler from the catalyst bed;
• c) removing monoalkylated benzene from the reboiler;
• and
• d) heating the contents of the reboiler such that benzene refluxes to further contact the fluorine-containing mordenite,
• wherein the mordenite has been treated by contacting mordenite with an aqueous hydrogen fluoride solution, wherein the hydrogen fluoride in the aqueous solution has a concentration in the range from about 0.1 to about 1 percent by weight.

A composition of matter comprising alkylbenzenes, which are prepared according to a process comprising:

• a) contacting benzene with an olefin of from about 5 to about 30 carbons in the presence of fluorine-containing mordenite under conditions such that monoalkylated benzene is formed;
• and
• b) contacting the effluent from step a) with benzene in the presence of a fluorine-containing clay catalyst,
• such that the product of step b) has a bromine number less than the bromine number of the product of step a).

A composition of matter comprising alkylbenzenes, which are prepared according to a process comprising:

• a) introducing a feed comprising olefin having about 5 to about 30 carbons and benzene into fluorine-containing mordenite catalyst bed under conditions such that monoalkylated benzene is produced;
• b) collecting benzene, olefin, and monoalkylated benzene that descends from the catalyst bed in a reboiler;
• c) heating the contents of the reboiler such that benzene refluxes to further contact the fluorine-containing mordenite;
• d) removing monoalkylated benzene having a bromine number from the reboiler;
• and
• e) contacting the monoalkylated benzene removed from the reboiler with benzene in the presence of a fluorine-containing clay catalyst such that the bromine number of the monoalkylated benzene removed from the reboiler is reduced.