Process for making cumene by alkylation of benzene using an organotemplate-free zeolite beta

1. A process for preparing cumene by alkylation of benzene with propylene, wherein said process comprises:

contacting a feed mixture, comprising benzene and propylene, at a reactor inlet temperature from 80 to 130 ° C. and an WHSV from 6 to 20, with a benzene alkylation catalyst contained within a reaction zone defined by a reactor, wherein said benzene alkylation catalyst comprises an organotemplate-free zeolite beta, having a silica-to-alumina molar ratio (SAR) of less than 20, that is synthesized in the presence of a material absence of an organotemplate; and

yielding an alkylation product, comprising cumene;

wherein said process provides for a high cumene selectivity of at least 94%.

2. A process as recited in claim 1 , wherein said organotemplate-free zeolite beta comprises no more than an impurity of an organic structure directing agent.

3. A process as recited in claim 2 , wherein said benzene alkylation catalyst has a material absence of a metal component of either iron or copper, or both.

4. A process as recited in claim 3 , wherein mild benzene alkylation reaction conditions include a reaction temperature and a reaction pressure such that said feed mixture is at least partially in a liquid phase.

5. A process as recited in claim 4 , wherein said feed mixture has a benzene-to-propylene molar ratio of less than 8:1.

6. A process as recited in claim 1 , wherein said process provides for a propylene conversion of at least 99.7% with a low selectivity to polyisopropylbenzene of less than 6%.

7. A process as recited in claim 6 , wherein said organotemplate-free zeolite beta is made by crystallizing under crystallization conditions a mixture:

comprising, no more than an impurity of an organic structure directing agent, a solvent comprising water, a source of Al 2 O 3 , a source of SiO 2 , and a source of hydroxide anions OH — selected from either sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide, wherein the components of said mixture are present in relative amounts so as to provide said mixture having the following molar composition: xSiO 2:y Al 2 O 3 :z Na 2 O:wH 2 O; wherein x =1 to 40; y=1; z=0.1 to 10; w=50 to 1,000; and wherein said mixture further includes zeolite beta seed crystals in an amount in the range of from 0.1 wt. % to 50 wt. % of the total weight of said mixture.

8. A process as recited in claim 7 , wherein said organotemplate-free zeolite beta has a material absence of a metal component of either iron or copper, or both.

9. A process for preparing cumene by alkylation of benzene with propylene, wherein said process comprises:

contacting a feed mixture, comprising benzene and propylene in relative proportions such that the molar ratio of benzene-to-propylene is less than 12:1, at a reactor inlet temperature from 80 to 130 ° C. and an WHSV from 6 to 20with a benzene alkylation catalyst contained within a reaction zone defined by a reactor, wherein said benzene alkylation catalyst comprises an organotemplate-free zeolite beta, having a silica-to-alumina molar ratio (SAR) of less than 20, that is synthesized in the presence of a material absence of an organotemplate; and

yielding an alkylation product, comprising benzene, cumene, and at least one other reaction product;

wherein the process provides for a high cumene selectivity of at least 94%.

10. A process as recited in claim 9 , wherein said at least one other reaction product includes poly alkylated benzenes and said alkylation product further comprises propane, and said process further comprises: separating propane from said alkylation product to yield a propane product stream, a benzene product stream, and a poly alkylated benzene product stream.

11. A process as recited in claim 10 , wherein said process further comprises: mixing a portion of said benzene product stream with said feed mixture.

12. A process as recited in claim 11 , wherein said poly alkylated benzene product stream includes diisopropylbenzene and heavy hydrocarbons and said process further comprises: separating diisopropylbenzene from said poly alkylated benzene product stream to yield a diisopropylbenzene product stream and a heavy hydrocarbon stream.

13. A process as recited in claim 12 , further comprising: contacting said diisopropylbenzene product stream under transalkylation reaction conditions with a transalkylation catalyst to yield a transalkylation reaction product and including a portion of said transalkylation reaction product with said alkylation product.

14. A process as recited in claim 13 , wherein mild benzene alkylation reaction conditions include a reaction pressure such that said feed mixture is at least partially in a liquid phase, and the benzene-to-propylene molar ratio of said feed mixture of less than 8.

15. A process as recited in claim 14 , wherein said process provides for a propylene conversion of at least 99.7% with a low selectivity to polyisopropylbenzene of less than 6%.

16. A process as recited in claim 15 , wherein said organotemplate-free zeolite beta comprises no more than an impurity of an organic structure directing agent.

17. A process as recited in claim 16 , wherein said benzene alkylation catalyst further comprises an inorganic oxide component present in said benzene alkylation catalyst in the range of from 5 wt. % to 50 wt. % of the benzene alkylation catalyst and said organotemplate-free zeolite beta is present in said benzene alkylation catalyst in the range of from 50 wt. % to 95 wt. % of the benzene alkylation catalyst.

18. A process as recited in claim 17 , wherein said organotemplate-free zeolite beta is made by crystallizing under crystallization conditions a mixture: comprising, no more than an impurity of an organic structure directing agent, a solvent comprising water, a source of Al 2 O 3 , a source of SiO 2 , and a source of hydroxide anions OH — selected from either sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide, wherein the components of said mixture are present in relative amounts so as to provide said mixture having the following molar composition: xSiO 2:y Al 2 O 3 :z Na 2 O:wH 2 O; wherein x =1 to 40; y=1; z=0.1 to 10; w=50 to 1,000; and wherein said mixture further includes zeolite beta seed crystals in an amount in the range of from 0.1 wt. % to 50 wt. % of the total weight of said mixture.

19. A process as recited in claim 18 , wherein said organotemplate-free zeolite beta has a material absence of a metal component of either iron or copper, or both.