| abstract |
Methods and corresponding catalysts are provided for transalkylation of 1-ring (C 9+ ) aromatic compounds, such as transalkylation to form para-xylene and/or other xylenes. Suitable catalysts include molecular sieves having a 3-D 12-member ring framework structure, molecular sieves having a 1-D 12-member ring framework structure, acidic microporous materials with a pore channel size of at least 6.0 Angstroms, and/or molecular sieves having a MWW framework structure. The methods include performing transalkylation where at least a portion of the feed to the transalkylation process is in the liquid phase. Optionally, the transalkylation conditions can correspond to conditions where a continuous liquid phase is present within the reaction environment. Some embodiments include liquid phase transalkylation processes for naphthalene-containing feedstock streams. |