Alkylation process

Claim 1

IN AN ALKYLATION PROCESS WHEREIN OLEFIN-BASED ALKYLATABLE MATERIAL AND ISOPARAFFIN ARE REACTED IN THE PRESENCE OF A SULFURIC ACID ALKYLATION CATALYST, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES: INTRODUCING FEED COMPRISING SAID OLEFIN-BASED ALKYLATABLE MATERIAL, SAID ISOPARAFFIN, AND SAID ALKYLATION CATALYST INTO A FIRST REACTION ZONE, CIRCULATING THE REACTION MIXTURE IN SAID FIRST REACTION ZONE THEREBY EFFECTING MIXING OF SAID FEED AND SAID REACTION MIXTURE AND ALKYLATION OF A SUBSTANTIAL PROPORTION OF SAID OLEFINBASED ALKYLATABLE MATERIAL, WITHDRAWING A PORTION OF SAID REACTION MIXTURE AS EFFLUENT FROM SAID FIRST REACTION ZONE, SAID EFFLUENT FROM SAID FIRST REACTION ZONE COMPRISING ALKYLATION CATALYST CONTAINING WITHIN THE RANGE OF 0.5 TO 4.0 WEIGHT PERCENT OF ALKYL ACID SULPHATE, PASSING SAID EFFLUENT FROM SAID FIRST REACTION ZONE TO A SEPARATING ZONE, SEPARATING SAID EFFLUENT FROM SAID FIRST REACTION ZONE INTO A SEPARATED HYDROCARBON PHASE AND A SEPARATED CATALYST PHASE, ADDING ISOPARAFFIN TO SAID SEPARATED CATALYST PHASE, PASSING SAID SEPARATED CATALYST PHASE IN ADMIXTURE WITH SAID ADDED ISOPARAFFIN IN ONCE THROUGH LINEAL FLOW THROUGH ANN ELONGATED REACTION ZONE PROVIDING A REACTION TIME OF AT LEAST 1.0 MINUTE, DISCHARGING THE EFFLUENT FROM SAID ELONGATED REACTION ZONE, SAID EFFLUENT FROM SAID ELONGATED REACTION ZONE COMPRISING ALKYLATION CATALYST CONTAINING WITHIN THE RANGE OF 0 TO 0.5 WEIGHT PERCENT OF ALKYL ACID SULPHATE, RECYCLING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID EFFLUENT FROM SAID ELONGATED REACTION ZONE TO SAID FIRST REACTION ZONE, AND RECOVERING ALKYLATE FROM SAID SEPARATED LIQUID HYDROCARBON PHASE.