Process for producing alkylbenzene

A process for producing an alkylbenzene from an alkylphenyl alcohol involving the steps of: (a) feeding a feed stream containing alkylphenyl a reactor having a catalytic distillation zone; and, (b) concurrently in the reactor (i) contacting the feed stream containing alkylphenyl alcohol with hydrogen in the catalytic distillation zone to convert alkylphenyl alcohol to alkylbenzene over a catalyst containing Group VIII or a Group IB metal; and, (ii) separating alkylbenzene from the reaction mixture by fractional distillation to produce an overhead stream containing alkylbenzene having a reduced concentration of alkylphenyl alcohol than the feed stream from the distillation column reactor. Examples of the alkylphenyl alcohol include cumyl alcohol, phenyl ethyl alcohol, or di(2-hydroxyl 2-propyl)benzene, and that for the alkylbenzene include cumene and di-ethyl benzene, or di(2-hydroxyl-2-propyl)benzene.