Method of and apparatus for the acid-catalyzed alkylation of hydrocarbons

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR THE CONTACTING OF A LIQUID HYDROFLUORIC ACID CATALYST AND COMPOUNDS TO BE ALKYLATED BY ADMIXING SAID CATALYST AND SAID COMPOUNDS IN AN AXIAL PORTION OF ONE END OF A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL CONTACTOR ZONE BY CAUSING TO IMPINGE AT A SUBSTANTIAL ANGLE TO EACH OTHER A STREAM CONTAINING SAID LIQUID CATALYST AND A STREAM CONTAINING SAID COMPOUNDS CAUSING THE ADMIXTURE TO FLOW WITH INTIMATE CONTACT OF ITS COMPONENTS THROUGHOUT SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF SAID CONTACTOR ZONE AXIALLY TO ITS OTHER END, TURNING SAID MIXTURE THROUGH SUBSTNATIALLY 180* AND THEN CAUSING IT TO FLOW BACK TOWARD THE SAID ONE END OF SAID CONTACTOR ZONE THROUGH AN ANNULAR CONTIGUOUS ZONE, AND THEN WHEN SAID MIXTURE HAS REACHED ATHE INLET END OF SAID ANNULAR ZONE REMOVING SAID MIXTURE FROM SAID ANNULAR ZONE WITHOUT ALLOWING IT OT COME INTO CONTACT WITH FRESHLY INTRODUCED LIQUID ACID CATALYST AND COMPOUNDS TO BE ALKYLATED.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR THE CONTACTING OF A LIQUID HYDROFLUORIC ACID CATALYST AND COMPOUNDS TO BE ALKYLATED BY ADMIXING SAID CATALYST AND SAID COMPOUNDS IN AN AXIAL PORTION OF ONE END OF A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL CONTACTOR ZONE BY CAUSING TO IMPINGE AT A SUBSTANTIAL ANGLE TO EACH OTHER A STREAM CONTAINING SAID LIQUID CATALYST AND A STREAM CONTAINING SAID COMPOUNDS CAUSING THE ADMIXTURE TO FLOW WITH INTIMATE CONTACT OF ITS COMPONENTS THROUGHOUT SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF SAID CONTACTOR ZONE AXIALLY TO ITS OTHER END, TURNING SAID MIXTURE THROUGH SUBSTNATIALLY 180* AND THEN CAUSING IT TO FLOW BACK TOWARD THE SAID ONE END OF SAID CONTACTOR ZONE THROUGH AN ANNULAR CONTIGUOUS ZONE, AND THEN WHEN SAID MIXTURE HAS REACHED ATHE INLET END OF SAID ANNULAR ZONE REMOVING SAID MIXTURE FROM SAID ANNULAR ZONE WITHOUT ALLOWING IT OT COME INTO CONTACT WITH FRESHLY INTRODUCED LIQUID ACID CATALYST AND COMPOUNDS TO BE ALKYLATED.

Claim 3

AN APPARATUS COMPRISING A SHELL, IN SAID SHELL AN UNOBSTRUCTED CONCENTRIC PARTITION FORMING AN ANNULUS EXTENDING FROM ONE END OF SAID SHELL ALMOST BUT NOT COMPLETELY TO THE OTHE REND OF SAID SHELL, AT LEAST ONE SUBSTANTIALLY AXIALLY DISPOSED INLET AT THE END OF SAID SHELL FROM WHICH SAID CONCENTRIC PARTITION EXTENDS, COMMUNICATING DIRECTLY AT SAID ONE END OF SAID SHELL WITH THE AXIAL SPACE WITHIN SAID CONCENTRIC PARTITION AND AT LEAST ONE OTHER INLET ALSO COMMUNICATING DIRECTLY WITH THE AXIAL SPACE WITHIN SAID CONCENTRIC PARTITION AND DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY AT RIGHT ANGLES TO SAID FIRST-MENTIONED INLET AND A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY PLACED OUTLETS FROM SAID ANNULUS TO WITHOUT SAID SHELL NEAR THE END OF SAID SHELL AT WHICH SAID INLETS ARE PROVIDED.J

Claim 4

AN APPARATUS COMPRISING A SHELL, IN SAID SHELL AN UNOBSTRUCTED CONCENTRIC PARTITION FORMING AN ANNULUS EXTENDING FROM ONE END OF SAID SHELL ALMOST BUT NOT COMPLETELY TO THE OTHE REND OF SAID SHELL, AT LEAST ONE SUBSTANTIALLY AXIALLY DISPOSED INLET AT THE END OF SAID SHELL FROM WHICH SAID CONCENTRIC PARTITION EXTENDS, COMMUNICATING DIRECTLY AT SAID ONE END OF SAID SHELL WITH THE AXIAL SPACE WITHIN SAID CONCENTRIC PARTITION AND AT LEAST ONE OTHER INLET ALSO COMMUNICATING DIRECTLY WITH THE AXIAL SPACE WITHIN SAID CONCENTRIC PARTITION AND DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY AT RIGHT ANGLES TO SAID FIRST-MENTIONED INLET AND A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY PLACED OUTLETS FROM SAID ANNULUS TO WITHOUT SAID SHELL NEAR THE END OF SAID SHELL AT WHICH SAID INLETS ARE PROVIDED.J