IONIC LIQUIDS AS CATALYSTS FOR ETHYLBENZENE PRODUCTION

摘要

Chloroaluminate ionic liquids have been assessed as liquid acid catalysts for the alkylation of benzene with ethylene to produce ethylbenzene. Detailed comparisons with commercial aluminium(Ⅲ) chloride catalyst have been carried out, using performance indicators such as activity, selectivity and lifetime. Results of the study indicate inferior activity but superior recyclability with current generations of ionic liquid catalysts. Calculations suggest that for any reaction catalysed by AlCl_3, the increased cost of substituting ionic liquid, currently estimated as a factor of 5-6, could only be justified by a decrease in catalyst usage of a similar order, resulting from a combination of desirable features such as superior activity, selectivity and recyclability. The authors conclude that there is considerable scope for further ionic liquid formulation development for aromatics alkylation, requiring the combined skills of industry and academia working in collaboration.