Hydrocarbon alkylation process

Claim 1

IN AN ALKYLATION REACTION HEREIN AN ALKYLATABLE HYDROCARBON IS REACTED WITH AN ALKYLATING AGENT IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IMMISCIBLE LIQUID CATALYST IN A SERIES OF CONFINED MIXING ZONES EACH CONTAINED IN A CONFINED REACTION ZONE, AND WHEREIN THE ALKYLATABLE HYDROCARBON AND THE CATALYST ARE PORGRESSIVELY PASSED IN SERIES FLOW THROUGH EACH OF THE REACTION ZONES AND THEIR RESPECTIVE MIXING ZONES, THE PROCESS WHICH COMPRISES: PASSING THE ALKYLATIABLE HYDROCARBON AND THE LIQUID CATALYST TO THE LOWER PORTION OF A FIRST REACTION ZONE AND A CONFINED SPACE DIRECTLY BELOW AN AREA OF HIGH UPWARD VERTICAL VELOCITY; EMULSIFYING THE ALKYLATABLE HYDROCARBON AND THE LIQUID CATALYST; PASSING THE EMULSION UPWARDLY AT MAXIMUM VELOCITY WITHIN A FIRST CONFINED MIXING ZONE PAST A POINT WHERE THE ALKYLATING AGENT IS CONTINUOUSLY BEING INTRODUCED, UNDER CONDITIONS SUCH THAT THE CONDENSATION REACTION BETWEEN THE ALKYLATABLE HYDROCARBONS AND ALKYLATING AGENT TAKES PLACE IN THE LIQUID PHASE AND SPONTANEOUS VAPORIZATION OCCURS; PASSING THE RESULTING MIXTURE UPWARDLY THROUGH A SEMIQUIESCENT ZONE TO SEPARATE THEREFROM VAPOROUS MATERIAL; ACCUMULATING IN AND VENTING VAPORS FROM THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID FIRST MIXING ZONE; REVERSING THE FLOW OF THE LIQUID MIXTURE IN A DOWNWARDLY DIRECTION WITHIN SAID FIRST MIXING ZONE, AND EXPELLING THE LIQUID MIXTURE FROM A LOWER PORTION OF THE FIRST CONFINED MIXING ZONE; RECIRCULATING A PORTION OF THE EXPELLED LIQUID TO SAID AREA OF HIGH UPWARD VERTICAL VELOCITY IN ADMIXTURE WITH THE INCOMING ALKYLATABLE HYDROCARBON AND CATALYST; RECIRCULATING THE EXPELLED LIQUID THROUGH THE FIRST CONFINED MIXING ZONE FOR RECONTACT WITH THE ALKYLATING AGENT; ALLOWING THE LDIQUID LEVEL IN SAID FIRST REACTION ZONE TO RISE TO A PREDETEREMINED LEVEL ABOVE THE POINT WHERE LIQUID IS EXPELLED FROM THE CONFINED MIXING ZONE; TRANSFERRING LIQUID ABOVE SAID LIQUID LEVEL IN SAID FIRST REACTION ZONE THROUGH A CONFINED PASSAGEWAY AND THENCE TO A SECOND CONFINED SPACE DIRECTLY BELOW AN AREA OF HIGH UPWARD VERTICAL VELOCITY IN A SECOND CONFINED REACTION ZONE CONTAINING A SECOND CONFINED MIXING ZONE; REPREATING THE ABOVE FLOW AND TRANSFER OF LIQUID IN EACH OF THE SUCCEEDING ZONES AND SEPARATELY WITHDRAWING A CONTROLLED AMOUNT OF VAPORS FROM EACH OF THE CONFINED REACTION ZONES TO REGULATE THE PRESSURE THEREIN SO THAT THE PRESSURE PROGRESSIVELY DECREASES IN THE DIRECTION OF LIQUID FLOW THROUGH THE REACTION ZONES TO INDUCE THE FLOW OF LIQUID THROUGH SAID ZONES.