Aluminum halide recycle isomerization process

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS WHEREIN PARAFFINIC HYDROCARBONS ARE ISOMERIZED IN THE LIQUID PHASE IN THE PRESENCE OF A SUPPORTED ALUMINUM HALIDE CATALYST IN A REACTION ZONE, AND A STREAM COMPRISING ISOMERIZED HYDROCARBONS AND DISSOLVED ALUMINUM HALIDE IS PASSED TO A SEPARATION ZONE, AN ISOMERIZATION PRODUCT SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF SAID HALIDE IS WITHDRAWN FROM AN UPPER PORTION OF SAID ZONE WHILE A SOLUTION OF ALUMINUM HALIDE IN HYDROCARBON INCLUDING HYDROCARBONACEOUS MATERIAL HAVING EIGHT OR MORE CARBON ATOMS IS WITHDRAWN FROM A LOWER PORTION OF SAID SEPARATION ZONE AND RECYCLED TO SAID REACTION ZONE, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES MAINTIAINING AT LEAST TWO ISOMERIZATION REACTION ZONES IN SERIES UNDER ISOMERIZATION CONDITIONS, FURTHER MAINTAINING A CONTACTING ZONE INITIALLY CONTAINING A BED OF CATALYST-FREE METAL OXIDE SUPPORT, FORMING AS AN ADMIXTURE A STREAM COMPRISING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID ISOMERIZATION PRODUCT FREE OF ALUMINUM HALIDE AND FROM 5 TO 25% OF SAID STREAM COMPRISING ALUMINUM HALIDE IN SOLUTION IN HYDROCARBON WITHDRAWN FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID SEPARATION ZONE, PASSING SAID ADMIXTURE TO SAID CONTACTING ZONE THUS DEPOSITING ALUMINUM HALIDE ON SAID METAL OXIDE SUPPORT, WITHDRAWINNG A SUBSTANTIALLY ALUMINUM HALIDE-FREE HYDROCARBONN FROM SAID ZONE, MAINTAINING SAID FLOW UNTIL SAID BED IS SUBSTANTIALLY SATURATED WITH SAID HALIDE AND THEREAFTER PASSING ISOMERIZATION FEED UNDER ISOMERIZATION CONDITION INTO SAID ZONE