Patent ID: 6187986
Filing Date: 2001-02-13
Classification: C07C,Y02P

Abstract:
A HF alkylation process comprising:(a) mixing liquid HF acid, a fresh isobutane feed stream, a recycle isobutane stream and a fresh olefin feed stream to form a liquid mixture;(b) alkylating said olefins in said mixture with isobutane in an HF alkylation reactor operating at HF alkylation conditions including a pressure sufficiently high to maintain said isobutane in the liquid phase in at least a portion of said reactor, to form a liquid mixture comprising isoparafinnic alkylate produced in the course of said alkylation reaction, alkyl fluorides, and HF contaminated with a minor amount of acid soluble oil (ASO) produced during said alkylation reaction;(c) separating said mixture into an alkylate product rich phase, a recycle liquid HF acid phase contaminated with ASO, and an isobutane recycle phase,(d) regenerating, at least periodically, a portion of said recycle liquid HF acid in an acid regenerator to remove ASO therefrom and produce an ASO-rich stream containing a minor portion of acid or alkyl fluorides and a regenerated HF acid stream which is recycled to said alkylation reactor;(e) consuming, at least a portion of said liquid HF acid by at least one of mechanical loss, formation of alkyl fluorides which remain in a liquid alkylate product phase, or losses associated with a regeneration step;(f) storing fresh liquid HF acid in an HF acid storage vessel at liquid HF storage conditions sufficient to maintain said acid in a liquid phase and at a superatmospheric pressure which is below the pressure of said alkylation reactor; and(g) educting, at least periodically, liquid HF acid from said storage vessel to said HF alkylation process by educting liquid HF acid from said storage vessel using an eductor and as a motive fluid a liquid phase hydrocarbon feed or product stream associated with said alkylation process.