Selective Hydrogenation of Styrene to Ethylbenzene

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016244385-A1
Application number	US-201615143887-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 2, 2016
Priority date	Feb 6, 2013
Publication date	Aug 25, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A feedstream comprising paraxylene and styrene is contacted, in the presence of hydrogen, with a catalyst comprising at least one metal, selected from one or more metals selected from Groups 8-10.

First claim

1 .- 11 . (canceled)

12 . A process comprising:
(i) contacting an aromatic hydrocarbon feedstream comprising benzene and/or toluene with methanol and/or dimethyl ether in the presence of a phosphorus-modified ZSM-5 alkylation catalyst, which has been steamed at a temperature of at least 950° C., to obtain a first product stream comprising greater than about 24 wt % para-xylene and styrene; and (ii) contacting said first product stream comprising greater than about 24 wt % para-xylene and styrene with a hydrogenation catalyst comprising at least one metal selected from Groups 8-10 of the Periodic Table, in the presence of hydrogen, to obtain a second product stream comprising a reduced amount of styrene when compared with said first product stream, wherein less than 0.2 wt % of paraxylene is isomerized by contact with the hydrogenation catalyst.

13 . The process of claim 12 , wherein said second product stream is further characterized as having no detectable levels of styrene, ethylcyclohexane and dimethylcyclohexane, as measured by gas chromatography.

14 . The process of claim 12 , wherein said hydrogenation catalyst further comprises a support selected from Al 2 O 3 , carbon, SiO 2 , TiO 2 , and mixtures thereof.

15 . The process of claim 12 , wherein said metal is selected from Pd, Co, Ni, Ru, and mixtures thereof.

16 . The process of claim 12 , wherein said hydrogenation catalyst further comprises at least one metal or metal compound selected from Ag, Au, In, alkali metals, and alkaline earth metals.

17 . The process of claim 12 , wherein said second product stream contains an increased amount of ethylbenzene relative to said feedstream.

18 . The process of claim 17 , wherein said increased amount of ethylbenzene is equal to the amount of styrene in said first product stream as measured by gas chromatography.

19 . The process of claim 12 , wherein the amount of paraxylene in the first product stream comprises at least 70 wt % based on the total xylene concentration.

20 . The process of claim 12 , wherein the amount of styrene in the first product stream comprises about 0.01 wt % to 2.00 wt %.

Assignees

• Exxonmobil Chemical Patents Inc

Inventors

• Chen Tan-Jen
• Ou John D
• Abichandani Jeevan S
• Heeter Glenn A

Classifications

• C07C7/163 Primary

  by hydrogenation · CPC title

• C07C2523/44

  Palladium · CPC title

• C07C5/03

  of non-aromatic carbon-to-carbon double bonds · CPC title

• C07C2521/04

  Alumina · CPC title

• C07C2/865

  the non-hydrocarbon is an ether · CPC title