Linear alkylbenzene Detal process

Figure 10-9. The UOP (Detal) process for producing linear alkylbenzene (1) pacol dehydrogenation reactor, (2) gas-liquid separation, (3) reactor for converting diolefins to monoolefins, (4) stripper, (5) alkylation reactor, (6,7,8) fractionators.

Linear alkylbenzenes are made from linear terminal olefins and benzene and are important precursors of biodegradable anionic surfactants (LAS, linear alkylbenzenesulfonates). The conventional catalyst is HF, first to be replaced by a fluorinated silica-alumina in the DETAL process. The DETAL process is safer than the HF process and also more cost-effective because no special metallurgy is required and no calcium fluoride waste stream exists.52 Zeolites such as Beta may come to the fore here because they display a higher selectivity to the desired 2-phenyl isomers.55... 

Application The Detal process uses a solid, heterogeneous catalyst to produce linear alkylbenzene (LAB) by alkylating benzene with linear olefins made by the Pacol process. 

Friedel-Crafts alkylation processes were traditionally operated at 65-70°C with AICI3 and at 40-60°C with HF. A variety of solid acid catalysts have been developed at the laboratory level, mainly based on zeolites, heteropolyacids or sulfated zirconia (zirconia treated with sulfuric acid). The most recent industrial achievement is the Detal process (UOP-CEPSA) which is based on silica-alumina impregnated with HF. The selectivity towards linear alkylbenzenes exceeds 95%. The cymene processes use AICI3 in the liquid phase or supported phosphoric acid as catalysts. 

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