Patent ID: 7176340

Claim:
A continuous alkylation process wherein an alkylatable compound is reacted with an alkylation agent in the presence of a solid acid alkylation catalyst to form an alkylate and wherein the catalyst is regenerated, said process being performed in a series of at least two catalyst-containing reactors in a zone A and a series of at least two catalyst-containing reactors in a zone B, in which process (a) the zone A reactors and the zone B reactors cycle back and forth per zone between alkylation mode and mild regeneration mode, (b) the alkylation mode comprises introducing an alkylation agent into a first reactor of the zone that is in the alkylation mode, reacting a portion of the alkylatable compound with at least a portion of the alkylation agent to produce an alkylate-containing product stream, and performing this operation at least once more in a downstream reactor in the zone that is in the alkylation mode employing, instead of said alkylatable compound, a stream comprising said alkylate-containing product stream, to produce an alkylation mode alkylate-containing effluent, (c) the mild regeneration mode comprises contacting the solid acid alkylation catalyst with hydrogen in each of the at least two reactors of the zone that is in the mild regeneration mode, (d) alkylate is recovered.