Production of dhsopropyl benzenes

Claim 1

PROCESS FOR PRODUCING DIISOPROPYL BENZENES WHICH COMPRISES CONTACTING CUMENE IN A PRETREATING STEP WITH A SILICEOUS CRACKING CATALYST IN THE PRESENCE OF AT LEAST 0.01 WEIGHT PERCENT BUT LESS THAN AN EQUIVALENT OF PROPYLENE UNDER ALKYLATING CONDITIONS, RECOVERING UNCOVERTED PRETREATED CUMENE FROM SAID PRETREATING STEP, ADMIXING SAID PRETREATED CUMENE WITH NO MORE THAN A MINOR AMOUNT OF CRUDE CUMENE TO FORM THE AROMATIC CHARGE STOCK FOR ALKYLATION, CONTACTING SAID AROMATIC CHARGE STOCK WITH PROPYLENE AT A MOL RATIO OF AT LEAST 3:1 IN THE PRESENCE OF A SILICEOUS CRACKING CATALYST, IN THE LIQUID PHASE, AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE BETWEEN 160* AND 300*C. AND AT A LIQUID HOURLY SPACE VELOCITY IN THE RANGE FROM 20 TO 100 V./V./HR. AND RECOVERING AS PRODUCT A MIXTURE OF MONOCYCLIC AROMATICS COMPRISING AT LEAST 25% DIISOPROPYL BENZENES CONTAINING A MAJOR PROPORTION OF PARA-DIISOPROPYL BENZENE.