Alkylating process
AssigneeExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
InventorChristopher L. Becker
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An alkylating process such as hydroalkylating process comprising feeding a gas material and a liquid material into the reactor, distributing the liquid material to the upper surface of a bed of a catalyst substantially uniformly. The substantial uniform distribution of the liquid material to the upper surface allows for substantially uniform distribution of liquid reaction medium in the bed, thereby preventing hot spot and undesirable continuous liquid zone, both of which can cause the production of undesired by-products. The invention is particularly useful for the hydroalkylation reaction of benzene in making cyclohexylbenzene, which can be used for making cyclohexanone and phenol.
Claims25
A process for making cyclohexylbenzene, the process comprising:
- (1A) feeding a gas material comprising hydrogen gas and a liquid material comprising benzene into a hydroalkylation reactor;
- (1B) distributing the liquid material to the upper surface of a bed of a solid hydroalkylating catalyst inside the hydroalkylation reactor such that in any given continuous area of 10.0 centimeters by 10.0 centimeters inside a first horizontal cross-section of the bed 1.0 centimeter below the upper surface of the bed, the average quantity of liquid benzene passing through the given continuous area per second Qbz0 is in a range from 60% to 140% of Qbz1, where Qbz1 is the average quantity of liquid benzene passing through the whole first horizontal cross-section, expressed in terms of quantity of liquid benzene per 100 square centimeters per second;
- and
- (1C) contacting liquid benzene and hydrogen gas with the catalyst under hydroalkylation conditions to produce a hydroalkylation reaction effluent comprising cyclohexylbenzene.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.