Patent ID: 8716544

Claim:
A process for isomerizing a feed stream comprising one or more C4-C6 paraffins, comprising: A) contacting the feed stream in an isomerization reaction zone with an isomerization catalyst at isomerization conditions to produce an isomerization zone effluent; B) passing at least a portion of the isomerization zone effluent to a stabilizer zone and recovering a stabilizer overhead stream comprising one or more C5 − hydrocarbons, a bottom stream comprising at least about 85%, by weight, one or more C6 + hydrocarbons, and a side-stream comprising at least about 85%, by weight, one or more C5 + hydrocarbons; C) passing at least a portion of the side-stream to a stripper zone; and D) sending a stripper bottom stream comprising at least about 90%, by weight, one or more C 5 + hydrocarbons to a C 5 splitter zone comprising a C 5 splitter column to produce a C 5 splitter column overhead stream and a C 5 splitter column bottom stream; and E) passing the C 5 splitter column bottom stream to the isomerization reaction zone.