Ethylbenzene is primarily produced by the alkylation of benzene with ethylene in liquid-phase slurry reactors promoted with aluminum chloride catalysts or by vapor-phase reaction of benzene with dilute ethylene-containing feedstock with a boron trifluoride catalyst supported on alumina (Cannella

Ethylbenzene is primarily produced by the alkylation of benzene with ethylene in liquid-phase slurry reactors promoted with aluminum chloride catalysts or by vapor-phase reaction of benzene with dilute ethylene-containing feedstock with a boron trifluoride catalyst supported on alumina (Cannella 2007; Clayton and Clayton 1981; HSDB 2009; Welch et al. 2005; Ransley 1984). Newer versions of the method employ synthetic zeolites in fixed-bed reactors as catalysts for alkylation in the liquid phase or narrow pore synthetic zeolites in fixed-bed reactors in the vapor phase (Welch et al. 2005). Other methods of manufacturing ethylbenzene include preparation from acetophenone, dehydrogenation of naphthenes, catalytic cyclization and aromatization, separation from mixed xylenes via fractionation, reaction of ethylmagnesium bromide and chlorobenzene, extraction from coal oil, and recovery from benzene-toluene-xylene (BTX) processing(Clayton and Clayton 1981; HSDB 2009; Ransley 1984; Welch et al. 2005). Commercial grades of ethylbenzene may contain small amounts of m-xylene, p-xylene, cumene, and toluene (HSDB 2009).