Apparatus of alkylation using alkanes and olefins

US5346676A · kind A · utility

Inventors

• Clifford S. Crossland · Houston, US
• Alan A. Johnson · Schreiber, CA
• John Woods · Tulsa, US
• Elliot G. Pitt · Mississauga, CA

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 25, 1993
• Grant date: Sep 13, 1994
• Expiry date: Jun 25, 2013

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C07C2527/133
• WIPO field: Organic fine chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

Paraffin alkylation using solid, particulate catalyst is carried out by preparing an alkane-catalyst mixture in a wash zone, passing the alkane-catalyst mixture to a plug flow reactor where a minor amount of olefin is introduced to contact the alkane-catalyst mixture and react to form alkylate and the alkane-catalyst-alkylate mixture is passed through the reactor with a minimum of back mixing to restrict the reaction of alkylate with olefin, thus substantially preventing polymerization. The alkane-catalyst-alkylate mixture, substantially free of olefin is passed to a disengaging zone where the liquid is removed and the solid particulate catalyst is recovered and returned to the wash zone for recycle. The alkane is present in the reactor in sufficient molar excess to react substantially all of the olefin. Any unreacted isoalkane is recycled to the reactor with make-up isoalkane added to maintain the molar excess. The preferred catalyst is an acid washed silica treated with antimony pentafluoride and more preferably treated with alkane at low temperature, e.g. -30.degree. to -160.degree. C.