Synthesis of ethylbenzene on zeolite catalysts

Scaling of the process for zeolite-catalyzed ethylbenzene synthesis used as an example is shown, and the catalyst characteristics and product yields are given. The properties of the catalysts and their stability were studied in laboratory, micro-pilot, pilot, and demonstration units with reactor volumes of 0.01, 1, 100, and 1000 dm³, respectively, a sequence that, in combination with the selection of an optimal catalyst, made it possible to determine more exactly the role of each scaling level. The design of the last reactor was practically identical to that of the industrial reactor. The results of the experiments showed that the product quality and the catalyst service life were the same in the pilot and demonstration reactors operating at identical temperatures, feedstock compositions, and olefin space velocities. To confirm the results under conditions identical to those of an industrial reactor and to devise a mathematical model of the process, the pilot and demonstration units used were designed in such a manner that the basic engineering principles of the industrial reaction could be verified. As a result, the domestic technology of industrial-scale ethylbenzene production on heterogeneous catalysts was implemented.