Alkylation

Claim 1

ALKYLATION APPARATUS COMPRISING: MEANS FOR ALKYLATION OF AN ALKYLATABLE HYDROCARBON WITH AN ALKYLATING COMPOUND IN THE PRESENCE OF HF ACID; VESSEL MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID ALKYLATION MEANS FOR PERMITTING SEPARATION OF THE RESULTING REACTION EFFLUENT INTO AN UPPER HYDROCARBON PHASE AND A LOWER ACID PHASE; VERTICAL BAFFLE MEANS POSITIONED IN SAID VESSEL ADJACENT THE POINT OF INTRODUCTION OF SAID EFFLUENT THERETO AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY IN SAID LOWER ACID PHASE; A PLURALITY OF CONTACTING MEANS POSITIONED WITHIN SAID VESSEL IN SAID HYDROCARBON PHASE, A PLURALITY OF DOWNCOMERS ASSOCIATED WITH EACH OF SAID CONTACTING MEANS AND WHEREIN THE LOWERMOST OF SAID DOWNCOMERS IS REMOTELY POSITIONED FROM SAID BAFFLE MEANS AND HAS THE LOWER OUTLET THEREOF BELOW THE LOWR EDGE OF SAID BAFFLE MEANS; FIRST CONDUIT MEANS FOR INTRODUCING HF ACID AT A FIRST OPENING ON SAID VESSEL MEANS ADJACENT THE SEPARATED HYDROCARBON PHASE; SECOND CONDUIT MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING A STREAM FROM SAID HYDROCARBON PHASE; A FRACTIONATION ZONE COMMUNICATING WITH THE DOWNSTREAM END OF SAID SECOND CONDUIT MEANS; THIRD CONDUIT MEANS FOR RECOVERING PRODUCT ALKYLATE FROM THE BOTTOM PORTION OF SAID FRACTIONATION ZONE; FOURTH CONDUIT MEANS FO WITHDRAWING A STREAM FROM SAID ACID PHASE, AN ACID RERUN ZONE COMMUNICATING WITH THE DOWNSTREAM END OF SAID FOURTH CONDUIT MEANS; FIFTH CONDUIT MEANS FOR PASSING RERUN ACID FROM SAID RERUN ZONE TO A SECOND OPENING ON SAID VESSEL ADJACENT THE SEPARATED HYDROCARBON PHASE AND BELOW SAID FIRST OPENING.