Alkylation of hydrocarbons

Claim 1

IN AN ALKYLATION PROCESS IN WHICH AN ALKYLATABLE HYDROCARBON IS REACTED WITH AN OLEFIN IN THE PRESENCE OF AN ACID CATALYST, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES EMULSIFYING THE ACID AND ALKYLATABLE REACTANTS IN A CONTACTING ZONE UNDER SUITABLE CONVERSION CONDITIONS, PASSING SAID EMULSION THROUGH A CONFINED REACTION ZONE AT A SUPERFICIAL VELOCITY OF FROM ABOUT 0.8 TO 15.0 FEET PER SECOND, INTRODUCING OLEFIN REACTANT INTO SAID REACTION ZONE TO FORM A REACTION MIXTURE WITH SAID EMULSION AND PASSING SAID MIXTURE THROUGH A HIGHLY PERMEALE WIRE MAT FOR IMPINGEMENT CONTACT THEREWITH AND EVEN DISPERSAL OF THE OLEFINS THROUGHOUT SAID EMULSIONS, THE PERMEABILITY OF SAID MAT CONTROLLED TO PROVIDE A PRES SURE DROP IN SAID MIXTURE FLOWING THERETHROUGH OF FROM ABOUT 0.1 TO 1.0 FOOT OF FLOWING FLUID.

Claim 3

AN APPARATUS FOR DISPERSING AN OLEFIN IN AN ALKYLATION CATALYST-HYDROCARBON EMULSION WHICH COMPRISES A PUMP HAVING A PROPELLER SECTION AND A DIFFUSER SECTION, SAID PUMP SECTION ADAPTED TO FORM SAID EMULSION AND PROPEL IT THROUGH SAID DIFFUSER SECTION AT A HIGH SUPERFICIAL VELOCITY, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING THE OLEFIN INTO THE EMULSION AS IT FLOWS THROUGH SAID DIFFUSER SECTIONS, AND IMPINGEMENT MEANS OF HIGH PERMEABILITY AND LOW FLOW RESISTANCE IN SAID DIFFUSER SECTION ADJACENT TO AND DOWNSTREAM OF THE POINT OF INTRODUCTION OF THE OLEFIN IN SAID DIFFUSER SECTION, SAID IMPINGEMENT MEANS DISPOSED FOR FLOW OF SAID EMULSION AND INTRODUCED OLEFIN THERETHROUGH FOR DISPERSAL OF SAID OLEFIN INIFORMLY IN SAID EMULSION, SAID IMPINGEMENT MEANS FORMED OF SPACED LENGTHS OF FILAMENT MATERIAL, SAID FILAMENT OF A SIZE AND AND LENGTHS SO SPACED APART TO PROVIDE A PRESSURE DROP THROUGH SAID IMPINGEMENT MEANS OF FROM ABOUT 0.1 TO 1.0 FOOT OF FLOWING FLUID AT SUPERFICIAL FLOW VELOCITIES OF THE EMULSION IN SAID DIFFUSER SECTION OF FROM ABOUT 0.8 TO 15.0 FEET PER SECOND.

Claim 4

AN APPARATUS FOR DISPERSING AN OLEFIN IN AN ALKYLATION CATALYST-HYDROCARBON EMULSION WHICH COMPRISES A PUMP HAVING A PROPELLER SECTION AND A DIFFUSER SECTION, SAID PUMP SECTION ADAPTED TO FORM SAID EMULSION AND PROPEL IT THROUGH SAID DIFFUSER SECTION AT A HIGH SUPERFICIAL VELOCITY, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING THE OLEFIN INTO THE EMULSION AS IT FLOWS THROUGH SAID DIFFUSER SECTIONS, AND IMPINGEMENT MEANS OF HIGH PERMEABILITY AND LOW FLOW RESISTANCE IN SAID DIFFUSER SECTION ADJACENT TO AND DOWNSTREAM OF THE POINT OF INTRODUCTION OF THE OLEFIN IN SAID DIFFUSER SECTION, SAID IMPINGEMENT MEANS DISPOSED FOR FLOW OF SAID EMULSION AND INTRODUCED OLEFIN THERETHROUGH FOR DISPERSAL OF SAID OLEFIN INIFORMLY IN SAID EMULSION, SAID IMPINGEMENT MEANS FORMED OF SPACED LENGTHS OF FILAMENT MATERIAL, SAID FILAMENT OF A SIZE AND AND LENGTHS SO SPACED APART TO PROVIDE A PRESSURE DROP THROUGH SAID IMPINGEMENT MEANS OF FROM ABOUT 0.1 TO 1.0 FOOT OF FLOWING FLUID AT SUPERFICIAL FLOW VELOCITIES OF THE EMULSION IN SAID DIFFUSER SECTION OF FROM ABOUT 0.8 TO 15.0 FEET PER SECOND.