Patent ID: 7329790

Claim:
A process for the catalytic conversion of a feedstream containing an oxygenate to light olefins using a fluidized conversion zone and a relatively expensive fluidized catalyst containing an ELAPO molecular sieve with recovery and recycle of contaminating catalyst particles from the product effluent stream withdrawn from the conversion zone, which process comprises the steps of: a) contacting the feedstream with the fluidized catalyst in the fluidized conversion zone at conversion conditions effective to form a mixture of deactivated catalyst particles and olefinic reaction products; b) separating at least a portion of the deactivated catalyst particles from the resulting mixture in a vapor-solid separating zone containing at least one vapor-solid cyclonic separating means to form a stream of deactivated catalyst particles and a conversion zone product effluent stream containing light olefins, unreacted oxygenates, H 2 O, other reaction products and undesired amounts of contaminating catalyst particles; c) passing the conversion zone product effluent stream to a wet scrubbing zone and therein contacting the effluent stream with a scrubbing liquid under scrubbing conditions effective to form a substantially catalyst-free overhead stream containing light olefins and a liquid bottom stream containing a mixture of the contaminating catalyst particles and the scrubbing liquid; d) passing at least a portion of the stream of the deactivated catalyst particles formed in step (b) to a regeneration zone and therein contacting the deactivated catalyst particles with an oxidizing gas stream under oxidizing conditions effective to form a stream of regenerated catalyst particles; e) recycling at least a portion of the liquid bottom stream produced in step (c) to step (a); and f) passing at least a portion of the stream of regenerated catalyst particles from step (d) to step (a).