Alkylation of aromatics

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR ALKYLATING AN ALKYLATABLE AROMATIC COMPOUND OF THE CLASS CONSISTING OF BENZENE AND TOLUENE WITH A C11 TO C21 OLEFIN BY CONTACT WITH AN INORGANIC HALIDE ALKYLATION CATALYST UNDER ALKYLATION CONDITIONS, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES ADMIXING THE OLEFIN REACTANT WITH AT LEAST A STOICHIOMETRICAL EQUIMOLAR PROPORTION OF AROMATIC REACTANT TO FORM A FEED MIXTURE, AND PASSING THE RESULTING FEED MIXTURE TOGETHER WITH THE RECYCLED STREAM OF ALKYLATE PRODUCT AND UNREACTED AROMATIC INTO A REACTION ZONE WHEREIN THE ALKYLATION CATALYST IS RETAINED AS A SLUDGE IN A HEAVY REACTION MIXTURE, SAID RECYCLED ALKYLATION PRODUCT SUPPLYING AN EXCESS OF THE AROMATIC REACTANT, DISPERSING THE THUS INTRODUCED MIXTURE OF THE REACTANTS AND ALKYLATE INTO THE HEAVY REACTION MIXTURE, STRATIFYING A RESULTING ALKYLATION PRODUCT LIQUID PHASE COMPRISING PRINCIPALLY ALKYLATE AND REACTED AROMATIC ABOVE THE HEAVY REACTION MIXTURE WHICH RETAINS THE CATALYST IN A BOTTOM PART OF SAID REACTION ZONE, WITHDRAWING THE ALKYLATION PRODUCT THUS STRATIFIED, SEPARATING ALKYLATE FROM A MINOR PORTION OF THE THUS WITHDRAWN PRODUCT, AND RETURNING A REMAINING MAJOR PORTION OF THE WITHDRAWN PRODUCT AS SAID RECYCLED STREAM.