Patent ID: 7576251
Filing Date: 2009-08-18
Classification: C07C,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A process for the preferential conversion to 2-butene of a C4 stream containing 1-butene and 2-butene, comprising: mixing said C4 stream with a first hydrogen stream to form a feed stream, hydroisomerizing said feed stream in the presence of a hydroisomerization catalyst in order to convert at least a portion of said 1-butene to 2-butene, thereby producing a hydroisomerization effluent, passing said hydroisomerization effluent through a fractionation column to form a top stream comprising isobutane and isobutylene and a bottoms stream comprising 2-butene, withdrawing a recycle stream from said fractionation column at a location above the feed point at which the weight ratio of 1-butene to 2-butene is high, and combining said recycle stream with at least one of said C4 stream and said feed stream upstream from said hydroisomerization catalyst.