Three-phase modeling and optimization of benzene alkylation in commercial catalytic reactors

The main object of this research is heterogenous modeling of benzene alkylation in three phase reactors based on the mass and energy balance equations by coupling the kinetic and equilibrium models and optimization the process conditions to enhance production capacity. In the first step, the alkylation reactors are simulated considering a three-phase model including heat and mass transfer resistances in the solid catalyst, gas and liquid phases. To prove the accuracy of developed model and adopted assumptions, the simulation results are compared with the plant data. Based on the simulation results, the benzene conversion and ethylbenzene selectivity in the alkylation reactors are 15.03 and 94.60% at the conventional condition. In the second step, considering the temperature of inlet streams to the reactors as decision variables, an optimization problem is formulated to maximize the ethylbenzene production rate as the objective function. Based on the simulation results, applying optimal condition on the system improves the ethylbenzene production by 1.33% at the same ethylene conversion compared to the conventional condition.

Effect of H2SiF6 modification of IM-5 on catalytic performance in benzene alkylation with ethylene

IM-5 zeolite modified by H2SiF6 has superior activity, equivalent stability, higher DEB selectivity and a lower xylene selectivity in comparison of ZSM-5 with similar Si/Al2 ratio. The process provides a new way to make ethylbenzene in the vapor phase.

Synthesis of Hierarchical Porous Ti-ZSM-5: A High Active Catalyst for Benzene Alkylation with Methanol

The major challenge in the production of xylene from benzene alkylation with methanol is to avoid the side reaction of methanol with olefins, and this leads to the low utilization efficiency of methanol and the generation of byproduct ethylbenzene. Hierarchical porous Ti-ZSM-5 with appropriate acidity was achieved by substituting part of Al by Ti in the synthesis process, which exhibited the high utilization efficiency of methanol and high suppression of the ethylbenzene formation by the efficient suppression of methanol to olefins.