Linear alkylation (LAB) is an important intermediate in the detergent industry. This work deals with the suspension catalytic distillation (SCD) column used for synthesis of C 12 alkylbenzene with benzene and 1-dodecene. A novel solid catalyst, which is friendly to environment, was selected. The kinetic equations using this catalyst were measured in a fixed-bed reactor. The mathematical models of equilibrium (EQ) stage and nonequilibrium (NEQ) stage for alkylation of benzene and 1-dodecene were, respectively, established by incorporating the kinetic equations to simulate the SCD column. By comparison of the results from experiments, it was concluded that the NEQ stage model was more accurate than the EQ stage model for the simulation. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.