Production of ethyl alcohol and alkylate

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF CONVERTING ETHYLENE IN GASEOUS MIXTURES CONTAINING SAME TOGETHER WITH AT LEAST ONE HIGHER ALIPHATIC OLEFIN AND AT LEAST ONE GASEOUS COMPONENT LIGHTER THAN ETHYLENE TO ETHYL ALCHOL AND CONCOMITANTLY CAUSING SAID HIGHER OLEFIN TO ALKYLATE AN ALKYLATABLE ISOPARAFFIN HYDROCARBON WHICH COMPRISES ABSORBING SAID GASEOUS MIXTURE IN A MOLAR EXCESS OF SAID ISOPARAFFIN HYDROCARBON AS AN ABSORPTION LIQUID AND THEREBY DISSOLVING THE OLEFIN CONTENT THEREOF WHILE ALLOWING THE LIGHTER CONTENT THEREOF TO PASS THROUGH UNDISSOVED, MAINTAINING A CONCENTRATION OF SAID HIGHER ALIPHATIC OLEFIN SUCH THAT IF WILL ALKYLATE THE ISOPARAFFIN PREFERENTIALLY IN RESPECT OF THE ETHYLENE, FEEDING THE RESULTING SOLUTION OF OLEFINS AND ISOPARAFFIN HYDROCARBON TO AN ALKYLATION ZONE AND THERE CONTACTING SAID SOLUTION OF OLEFINS AND ISOPARAFFIN WITH A MINERAL ACID ALKYLATION CATALYST AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE AND THEREBY ALKYLATING SAID ISOPARAFFIN WITH THE OLEFINS HIGHER THAN ETHLYENE AND SIMULTANEOUSLY CAUSING THE ETHYLENE TO FORM AN ETHYL ESTER AND SAID ACID CATALYST, AND HYDROLYZING SAID ETHYL ESTER TO ETHYL ALCHOL.