Patent ID: 8894820

Claim:
A fractionation zone for an alkylation apparatus, comprising: A) a debutanizer column having a debutanizer feed inlet, a debutanizer overhead conduit, and a debutanizer bottoms conduit for withdrawing a stream comprising at least one alcohol, water, and at least one ketone from the debutanizer column; B) a first column having a first column feed inlet in fluid communication with the debutanizer bottoms conduit, a first column overhead, a first column bottoms stream, and a first column recycle inlet; and C) a second column having a second column inlet in fluid communication with the first column bottoms stream to receive a stream comprising the at least one alcohol, the water, and the at least one ketone from the debutanizer, a second column overhead conduit for a stream comprising the at least one ketone, a side-stream conduit for a stream comprising the at least one alcohol and water, and a second column bottoms conduit in fluid communication with the first column recycle inlet; wherein the second column overhead conduit for a stream comprising the at least one ketone is split into a reflux conduit and a purge conduit; and wherein the side-stream conduit is in fluid communication with an oligomerization reactor.