This work deals with the improvement of the suspension catalytic distillation (SCD) process. An improved process that alkylation and transalkylation reactions for producing cumene are carried out simultaneously in a SCD column, was put forward. The kinetic data of alkylation of benzene with propylene over a modified beta-zeolite catalyst, YSBH-01, were determined in a fixed-bed laboratory micro-reactor. On this basis, the equilibrium stage (EQ) model (MESHR equations) is established to simulate the SCD column. The performance of the SCD column is discussed. The innovation present in this work for the SCD process is also suitable for the fixed-bed catalytic distillation (FCD) process for producing cumene. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.