Currently, almost all Ethylbenzene is produced commercially by alkylating benzene
with ethylene, primarily via two routes: in the liquid phase with aluminium chloride catalyst,
the vapour phase with a synthetic Zeolite catalyst developed by Mobil Corporation. The
alkylation of aromatic hydrocarbons with olefins in the presence of aluminumchloride
catalyst was first practiced by M .BALSHON in 1879. However, CHARLESFRIEDEL and
JAMES M. CRAFTS pioneered much of the early research on alkylation and aluminium
chloride catalysis.