| abstract |
Disclosed is a process for converting ethylbenzene in a C8 aromatic hydrocarbon mixture containing a large amount of non-aromatic hydrocarbons, mainly to benzene, by which the xylene loss is small, the deactivation rate of the catalyst can be reduced, and a high conversion rate to p -xylene can be attained. The process for converting ethylbenzene comprises bringing a feedstock containing an alicyclic hydrocarbon(s) in an amount of not less than 1.0% by weight, ethylbenzene and xylene into contact with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst to convert ethylbenzene mainly to benzene, wherein the catalyst is mainly composed of MFI zeolite and an inorganic oxide(s) and rhenium-supported, and wherein the conversion is carried out at a reaction pressure of not less than 1.0 MPa-G. |