Alkylation of hydrocarbons

Claim 2

RECOVERING FROM SAID RAFFINATE A OVERHEAD STREAM COMPRISING PROPANE AND HYDROGEN FLUORIDE; AND M. COMBINING SAID OVERHEAD STREAM WITH SAID VAPOR FROM STEP (C) PRIOR TO CONDENSING SAID VAPOR IN STEP (D).

Claim 3

A PROCESS FOR THE ALKYLATION OF HYDROCARBONS IN THE PRESENCE OF HYDROGEN FLUORIDE CATALYST AND A CATALYST ACTIVATOR SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF PRIMARY ALKYL FLUORIDES HAVING FROM 1 TO 8 CARBON ATOMS WHEREIN SAID CATALYST ACTIVATOR IS PRESENT IN AN AMOUNT RANGING FROM ABOUT 5 TO ABOUT 30 WEIGHT PERCENT, BASED ON WEIGHT OF CATALYST AND CATALYST ACTIVATOR, COMPRISING: A. CONTACTING IN AN ALKYLATION REACTION ZONE UNDER ALKYLATION CONDITIONS AT LEAST ONE PARAFFINIC HYDROCARBON AND AT LEAST ONE OLEFINIC HYDROCARBON WITH SAID CATALYST AND SAID CATALYST ACTIVATOR TO OBTAIN A REACTANT PRODUCT COMPRISING ALKYLATE, PROPANE, ALKYL FLUORIDE, UNREACTED HYDROCARBONS AND HYDROGEN FLUORIDE; B. PASSING SAID REACTION PRODUCT TO A PHASE SEPARATION ZONE AND SEPARATING THEREFROM A HYDROCARBON PHASE COMPRISING ALKYLATE, PROPANE, ALKYL FLUORIDE, UNTRACTED HYDROCARBONS AND A MONOR AMOUNT OF HYDROGEN FLUORIDE; C. PASSING SAID HYDROCARBON PHASE TO A FIRST FRACTIONATION ZONE AND WITHDRAWING THEREFROM A LIQUID STREAM COMPRISING ALKYLATE PRODUCT AND A VAPOR STREAM COMPRISING PROPANE, ALKYL FLUORIDE AND HYDROGEN FLUORIDE; D. CONDENSING SAID VAPOR STREAM AND PASSING SAID CONDENSED STREAM TO A SEPARATION ZONE WHEREIN SAID CONDENSED STREAM IS SEPARATED INTO A LIQUID HYDROCARBON PHASE COMPRISING PROPANE AND ALKYL FLUORIDE AND A LIQUID ACID PHASE COMPRISING HYDROGEN FLUORIDE AND ALKYL FLUORIDE, E. PASSING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID LIQUID HYDROCARBON PHASE TO AN EXTRACTION ZONE; F. PASSING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID LIQUID ACID PHASE TO A SECOND FRACTIONATION ZONE AND SEPARATING THEREFROM A LIGHT STREAM COMPRISING HYDROGEN FLUORIDE AND ALKYL FLUORIDE AND A LIQUID STREAM CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF HYDROGEN FLUORIDE;

Claim 4

A PROCESS FOR THE ALKYLATION OF HYDROCARBONS IN THE PRESENCE OF HYDROGEN FLUORIDE CATALYST AND A CATALYST ACTIVATOR SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF PRIMARY ALKYL FLUORIDES HAVING FROM 1 TO 8 CARBON ATOMS WHEREIN SAID CATALYST ACTIVATOR IS PRESENT IN AN AMOUNT RANGING FROM ABOUT 5 TO ABOUT 30 WEIGHT PERCENT, BASED ON WEIGHT OF CATALYST AND CATALYST ACTIVATOR, COMPRISING: A. CONTACTING IN AN ALKYLATION REACTION ZONE UNDER ALKYLATION CONDITIONS AT LEAST ONE PARAFFINIC HYDROCARBON AND AT LEAST ONE OLEFINIC HYDROCARBON WITH SAID CATALYST AND SAID CATALYST ACTIVATOR TO OBTAIN A REACTANT PRODUCT COMPRISING ALKYLATE, PROPANE, ALKYL FLUORIDE, UNREACTED HYDROCARBONS AND HYDROGEN FLUORIDE; B. PASSING SAID REACTION PRODUCT TO A PHASE SEPARATION ZONE AND SEPARATING THEREFROM A HYDROCARBON PHASE COMPRISING ALKYLATE, PROPANE, ALKYL FLUORIDE, UNTRACTED HYDROCARBONS AND A MONOR AMOUNT OF HYDROGEN FLUORIDE; C. PASSING SAID HYDROCARBON PHASE TO A FIRST FRACTIONATION ZONE AND WITHDRAWING THEREFROM A LIQUID STREAM COMPRISING ALKYLATE PRODUCT AND A VAPOR STREAM COMPRISING PROPANE, ALKYL FLUORIDE AND HYDROGEN FLUORIDE; D. CONDENSING SAID VAPOR STREAM AND PASSING SAID CONDENSED STREAM TO A SEPARATION ZONE WHEREIN SAID CONDENSED STREAM IS SEPARATED INTO A LIQUID HYDROCARBON PHASE COMPRISING PROPANE AND ALKYL FLUORIDE AND A LIQUID ACID PHASE COMPRISING HYDROGEN FLUORIDE AND ALKYL FLUORIDE, E. PASSING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID LIQUID HYDROCARBON PHASE TO AN EXTRACTION ZONE; F. PASSING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID LIQUID ACID PHASE TO A SECOND FRACTIONATION ZONE AND SEPARATING THEREFROM A LIGHT STREAM COMPRISING HYDROGEN FLUORIDE AND ALKYL FLUORIDE AND A LIQUID STREAM CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF HYDROGEN FLUORIDE;

Claim 5

The process of claim 1 wherein a further portion of said liquid hydrocarbon phase from step (d) is passed as reflux to said first fractionation zone.

Claim 6

The process of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said light stream is passed to said alkylation reaction zone.

Claim 7

The process of claim 1 wherein said catalyst activator is ethyl fluoride.

Claim 8

The process of claim 4 wherein said paraffinic hydrocarbon is isobutane and said olefinic hydrocarbon comprises propylene and butylene.