Paraffin hydrocarbon reactions with aluminum bromide

Claim 1

IN THE CATALYTIC TREATMENT OF PARAFFINIC HYDROCARBONS IN THE PRESENCE OF ALUMINUM BROMIDE CATALYST AND A PROMOTER AT TEMPERATURES OF UP TO ABOUT 120*F. IN A REACTION ZONE, WHEREIN THE PRODUCTS OF THE REACTION COMPRISE PRINCIPALLY BRANCHED CHAIN PARAFFINIC HYDROCARBONS OF FROM 4 TO 7 CARBON ATOMS, AND INCLUDING THE STEP OF REMOVING FROM THE REACTION ZONE HYDROCARBON PRODUCTS CONTAINING DISSOLVED ALUMINUM BROMIDE, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES THE STEP OF SEPARATING THE PRODUCTS OF THE REACTION FROM AT LEAST THE MAJOR PORTION OF THE PROMOTER AND THEREAFTER SUBJECTING THE PRODUCTS TO VACUUM DISTILLATION IN A DISTILLATION ZONE AT TEMPERATURES NO HIGHER THAN 120*F. AND RECYCLING TO THE REACTION ZONE A BOTTOMS PRODUCTS CONTAINING DISSOLVED ALBR3, WHEREBY RECOVERY AND RE-USE OF CATALYST MAY BE EFFECTED WITHOUT CATALYST DEACTIVATION AND WITHOUT PRODUCT DEGRADATION.