[0001] The invention provides a process for the alkylation of an aromatics compound with an olefin alkylation agent which comprises contacting the aromatic compound, especially benzene, with the alkylation agent, especially ethylene and/or propylene, in the presence of an oxide material which is delayered MWW-type zeolitic material, very suitably the material known as ITQ-2.
1. A process for the alkylation of an aromatic compound with a olefin alkylation agent which comprises contacting the aromatic compound with the alkylation agent in the presence of a calcined oxide material which is a delayered MWW zeolite. 2. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least 50% of the calcined oxide material comprises single layer material. 3. A process as claimed in claim 2, wherein the delayered MWW zeolite has been obtained by delamination, prior to calcination, of a swollen intermediate material or an as-synthesised material of the MWW-type structures PSH-3, SSZ-25, ERB-1, ITQ-1, or MCM-22. 4. A process as claimed in claim 3, wherein the swollen intermediate material comprises a template being hexamethyleneimine, or a source of adamantane quaternary ammonium ions, or a mixture thereof. 5. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the delayered oxide material is characterised in its calcined form as a microporous structure of channels formed by 10-membered atomic rings having a pore diameter of 0.56 nm (5.6 Å) and chalice-shaped cavities that measure 0.8 x 0.7 nm (8 x 7 Å) which are open to the outside via 12-membered atomic rings and an adsorption capacity for 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene at a temperature of 42 °C and a pressure of 173.3 Pa of at least 0.50 mmol/g. 6. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the aromatic compound is benzene and the olefin alkylation agent is ethylene, propylene or a mixture thereof. 7. A process as claimed in claim 6, which is carried out in liquid phase operation at a temperature in the range of from 150 to 250 °C, a pressure in the range of from 3 to 5 MPa, a benzene to olefin molar ratio in the range of from 2:1 to 10:1, and a weight hourly space velocity in the range of from 1 to 10. 8. A process as claimed in claim 7, which is carried out in a fixed bed reactor, or in a catalytic distillation reactor or reactor system. 9. A process as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 8, which is the production of cumene from propylene and benzene.