Benzene → Cumene

Participants

Reaction Steps

Excess benzene vapor 40 that exits the top of column 12 enters condenser 46, where it is cooled and condensed back into liquid benzene 32. Then, it flows to is benzene accumulator 48, where it is stored for future use. In one embodiment (i.e., FIG. 1), liquid benzene 32 flows from accumulator 48 to pump 34, and then is re-injected into catalyst bed 18, thereby forming a closed loop where un-reacted benzene is continuously recycled and reused. Make-up liquid benzene 50 is fed from storage tank 52 into accumulator 48 to replace the benzene lost when reacting with propylene to form cumene.

Provenance & Evidence