Patent ID: 9429532
Filing Date: 2016-08-30
CPC Classification: B01J,C07C,C10G,G01N

Claim Text:
1. A method for determining when to replace a guard bed material used to remove a catalyst poison from an alkylation feed based on a temperature change in an alkylation process, said method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a guard bed comprising a guard bed material; (b) providing an alkylation catalyst bed located downstream of and in fluid communication with said guard bed, wherein said alkylation catalyst bed has an inlet, and a downstream outlet; (c) loading an alkylation catalyst in said alkylation catalyst bed such that said alkylation catalyst extends from said inlet to said outlet of said catalyst bed; (d) placing at least three alkylation catalyst bed monitors proximate said alkylation catalyst bed, wherein a first alkylation catalyst bed monitor is located upstream of said inlet to said alkylation catalyst bed, a second alkylation catalyst bed monitor is located downstream of said inlet and upstream of said outlet of said alkylation catalyst bed, and a third alkylation catalyst bed monitor is located downstream of said second alkylation catalyst bed monitor; (e) monitoring the temperature of said alkylation catalyst bed with each of said alkylation catalyst bed monitors; (f) at least intermittently supplying said alkylation feed to said guard bed and said alkylation catalyst bed, wherein said alkylation feed comprises an alkylatable aromatic component, an alkylating agent component and a catalyst poison; (g) contacting said alkylation feed with said guard bed material under suitable guard bed treatment conditions to remove at least a portion of said catalyst poison from said alkylation feed and to form a treated alkylation feed comprising an alkylated aromatic component; (h) contacting said treated alkylation feed with said alkylation catalyst under suitable alkylation conversion conditions to form a product, wherein said contacting produces an increase in said alkylation catalyst bed temperature; (i) determining a first alkylation catalyst bed delta as the absolute value of the difference between said alkylation catalyst bed temperature at said first alkylation catalyst bed monitor and said alkylation catalyst bed temperature at said third alkylation catalyst bed monitor; (j) determining a second alkylation catalyst bed delta as the absolute value of the difference between said alkylation catalyst bed temperature at said first alkylation catalyst bed monitor and said alkylation catalyst bed temperature at said second alkylation catalyst bed monitor; and (k) replacing said guard bed material when the ratio of said second alkylation catalyst bed delta to said first alkylation catalyst bed delta is less than 1.