Catalyst treatment useful for aromatics conversion process

• Main Authors: RENDE DEAN E, BOLDINGH EDWIN P, MAHER GREGORY F, BOGDAN PAULA L, NEGIZ ANTOINE
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 09.06.2009
• Subjects: ACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS; CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOIDCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION ORPROCESSING OF GOODS; CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; FUELS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; LUBRICANTS; METALLURGY; MINERAL WAXES; ORGANIC CHEMISTRY; PEAT; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVEHYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION; RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, ORGASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINSTCLIMATE CHANGE; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS; TRANSPORTING

A process for preparing a transalkylation catalyst, the catalyst itself, and a transalkylation process for using the catalyst are herein disclosed. The catalyst comprises rhenium metal on a solid-acid support such as mordenite, which has been treated with a sulfur-based agent. Such treatment reduces the amount of methane produced by metal hydrogenolysis in a transalkylation process wherein heavy aromatics like A9+ are reacted with toluene to produce xylenes. Reduced methane production relative to total light ends gas production results in lower hydrogen consumption and lower reactor exotherms.