Isoparaffin-olefin alkylation with regeneration of resin/boron trifluoride catalyst

Claim 2

AN ALKYLATION PROCESS WHICH INCLUDES REGENERATION OF A SPENT MARCORETICULAR ACID CATION EXCHANGE RESIN CHARACTERIZED BY A WATER CONTENT BETWEEN ABOUT 0.5 AND ABOUT 20 WEIGHT PERCENT AND A SURFACE ACID CONCENTRATION OF BETWEEN 0.001 AND ABOUT 0.5 MILLIEQUIVALENTS OF HYDROGEN ION PER SQUARE METER SURFACE AREA WHICH COMPRISES EXTRACTING SAID RESIN WITH A POLAR SOLVENT, SEPARATING THE SPENT RESIN SO REGENERATED FROM SAID SOLVENT AND REUSING THE REGENERATED RESIN IN THE PROCESS WHICH LED TO ITS DEACTIVATION, SAID PROCESS COMPRISING ALKYLATING AN ISOPARAFFIN HAVING FROM 4 TO 8 CARBON ATOMS WITH AN OLEFIN CONTAINING FROM 2 TO 12 CARBON ATOMS BY CONTACTING SAID ISOPARAFFIN AND SAID OLEFIN, IN THE LIQUID STATE WITH A CATALYST IN AN ALKYLATION REACTION ZONE MAINTAINED AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN ABOUT -20*C. AND 150*C., SAID CATALYST COMPRISING A COMPLEX OF SAID RESIN AND BORON TRIFLUORIDE, SAID BORON TRIFLUORIDE BEING PRESENT IN AN AMOUNT IN EXCESS OF THAT NEEDED TO SATURATE THE RESIN TO FORM SAID COMPLEX, THE MOLAR RATIO OF SAID

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 wherein said polar solvent is water.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1 wherein said polar solvent is an alcohol.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1 wherein said polar solvent is a C1-C5 alcohol.

Claim 6

The method of claim 1 wherein said polar solvent is methanol.

Claim 7

The methanol of claim 1 wherein said temperature is between about -20* C. and 60* C.

Claim 8

The method of claim 1 wherein said surface acid concentration is between 0.001 and 0.2 milliequivalents of hydrogen ion per square meter surface area.

Claim 9

The method of claim 1 wherein said resin consists essentially of a macroreticular sulfonic acid cation exchange resin.

Claim 10

The method of claim 1 wherein said catalyst is characterized by an equivalent ratio of BF3 to acid groups in said complex which exceeds 2.

Claim 11

The method of claim 1 wherein said olefin contains 4 carbon atoms.

Claim 12

The method of claim 1 wherein said isoparaffin is isobutane.

Claim 13

The method of claim 1 wherein said molar ratio of isoparaffin to olefin is between about 3 and about 10.

Claim 14

The method of claim 8 wherein said macroreticular sulfonic acid cation exchange resin is a sulfonated sytrenedivinylbenzene copolymer.

Claim 15

A continuous process for alkylating an isopaRaffin having from 4 to 8 carbon atoms with an olefin containing from 2 to 12 carbon atoms in the presence of a catalyst complex comprising a macroreticular acid cation exchange resin and boron trifluoride and continuously regenerating said catalyst which comprises continuously introducing streams of said isoparaffin, olefin and boron trifluoride into a reactor containing said resin, said resin being characterized by a water content between about 0.5 and about 20 weight percent and a surface acid concentration of between 0.001 and 0.5 milliequivalents of hydrogen ion per square meter surface area, the molar ratio of said isoparaffin to said olefin being between about 2 and about 50 and said boron trifluroide being present in said reactor in an amount in excess of that need to saturate the resin, to form said catalyst complex, continuously stirring the resulting mixture at a sufficient rate and for a sufficient period of time at a temperature between about -20* C. and 150* C. to effect isoparaffin/olefin alkylation, continuously withdrawing a stream of alkylate-containing hydrocarbon and spent catalyst from said reactor, conducting said stream to regenerator wherein said spent catalyst is extracted with a polar solvent, continuously removing said solvent from the resulting mixture, continuously returning the regenerated catalyst and alkylate-containing hydrocarbon to said reactor, continuously withdrawing the resulting hydrocarbon product mixture from said reaction zone and continuously separating an alkylate hydrocarbon product from said mixture.

Claim 16

A continuous process for alkylating an isopaRaffin having from 4 to 8 carbon atoms with an olefin containing from 2 to 12 carbon atoms in the presence of a catalyst complex comprising a macroreticular acid cation exchange resin and boron trifluoride and continuously regenerating said catalyst which comprises continuously introducing streams of said isoparaffin, olefin and boron trifluoride into a reactor containing said resin, said resin being characterized by a water content between about 0.5 and about 20 weight percent and a surface acid concentration of between 0.001 and 0.5 milliequivalents of hydrogen ion per square meter surface area, the molar ratio of said isoparaffin to said olefin being between about 2 and about 50 and said boron trifluroide being present in said reactor in an amount in excess of that need to saturate the resin, to form said catalyst complex, continuously stirring the resulting mixture at a sufficient rate and for a sufficient period of time at a temperature between about -20* C. and 150* C. to effect isoparaffin/olefin alkylation, continuously withdrawing a stream of alkylate-containing hydrocarbon and spent catalyst from said reactor, conducting said stream to regenerator wherein said spent catalyst is extracted with a polar solvent, continuously removing said solvent from the resulting mixture, continuously returning the regenerated catalyst and alkylate-containing hydrocarbon to said reactor, continuously withdrawing the resulting hydrocarbon product mixture from said reaction zone and continuously separating an alkylate hydrocarbon product from said mixture.

Claim 17

The process of claim 14 wherein said temperature is between about -20* C. and 60* C.

Claim 18

The process of claim 14 wherein said surface acid concentration is between 0.001 and 0.2 milliequivalents of hydrogen ion per square meter surface area.

Claim 19

The process of claim 14 wherein said resin consists essentially of a macroreticular sulfonic acid cation exchange resin.

Claim 20

The process of claim 14 wherein said polar solvent is water.

Claim 21

The process of claim 14 wherein said polar solvent is a C1-C5 alcohol.

Claim 22

The process of claim 14 wherein said polar solvent is methanol.