New preparation process of a catalyst for converting aromatic hydrocarbons

Claim 1

In a process for dismutation and transalkylation of alkyl aromatic hydrocarbons in the presence of a catalyst, the improvement comprises employing as said catalyst a mordenite containing less than 0.5% by weight of sodium, wherein the molar ration SiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 is in the range from 10 to 100, the mordenite further containing at least one metal selected from cobalt, nickel, silver and palladium, said catalyst having been produced by a process comprising eliminating the major portion of sodium from a mordenite in the sodium form; said mordenite having a molar ratio SiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 of about 10, said catalyst being obtained by incorporating said metal to said mordenite and drying of the resulting catalyst mass at about 50° to 150° C., and subjecting the resultant dried catalyst to a dry calcination between 300 and 700° C., in the presence of an inert or oxidizing dry gas containing less than 1% by volume of steam and then subjecting resultant calcined catalyst to a wet calcination between 250° and 700° C., in the presence of at least one gas selected from steam, an inert gas and an oxidizing gas, the inert or oxidizing gas containing by volume at least 3% of steam.