Addition of a Base to Enhance Product Yield in Alkylation Reactions

Abstract

A process for making styrene including providing toluene, a co-feed, and a C 1 source to a reactor containing a catalyst having acid sites and reacting toluene with the C 1 source in the presence of the catalyst and the co-feed to form a product stream containing ethylbenzene and styrene, wherein the C 1 source is selected from methanol, formaldehyde, formalin, trioxane, methylformcel, paraformaldehyde, methylal, dimethyl ether, and wherein the co-feed removes at least a portion of the acid sites on the catalyst. The co-feed can be selected from the group of aniline, amines, cresol, anisol, and combinations thereof.

1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A method of preparing a catalyst, comprising:
 providing a substrate;   providing a first solution comprising at least one promoter;   contacting the substrate with the first solution;   obtaining a catalyst comprising at least one promoter and having a first number of active acid sites;   placing the catalyst in an alkylation reactor; and   contacting the catalyst in the alkylation reactor with a co-feed selected from the group consisting of aniline, amine, cresol, and anisol, and combinations thereof;   wherein the contacting of the substrate with the solution subjects the substrate to the addition of at least one promoter;   wherein the contacting the catalyst with the co-feed reduces the number of active acid sites of the catalyst.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the substrate is a zeolite. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the co-feed is present in amounts of from 0.1 to 5.0 wt % based on the total weight of he feed to the alkylation reactor. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the co-feed reduces the acidity of the catalyst. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein, after contacting the catalyst with the co-feed, spatial volume near the acid sites of the catalyst are occupied by molecules of the co-feed. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the co-feed is a base compound selected from the group consisting of aniline, cresol, anisol, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the catalyst is an X-zeolite and the at least one promoter includes Cs. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the catalyst is an X-zeolite and the at least one promoter includes Cs. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one promoter is selected from the group consisting of Co, Mn, Ti, Zr, V, Nb, K, Cs, Ga, B, P, Rb, Ag, Na, Cu, Mg, Fe, Mo, Ce, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the catalyst includes greater than 0.1 weight percent of the at least one promoter. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the co-feed adds basic sites to the catalyst. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the co-feed is more basic than toluene. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the substrate is a mordenite or faujasite. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the substrate is an X-type zeolite, a Y-type zeolite, or a zeolite beta. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the substrate is a crystalline silicoaluminophosphates (SAPO) or an aluminophosphates (ALPO).