Alkylation process comprising monitoring ionic liquid catalyst acidity

Abstract

A process for determining ionic liquid catalyst deactivation including (a) collecting at least one sample of an ionic liquid catalyst; (b) hydrolyzing the at least one sample to provide at least one hydrolyzed sample; (c) titrating the at least one hydrolyzed sample with a basic reagent to determine a volume of the basic reagent necessary to neutralize a Lewis acid species of the ionic liquid catalyst; and (d) calculating the acid content of the at least one sample from the volume of basic reagent determined in step (c) is described. Processes incorporating such a process for determining ionic liquid catalyst deactivation are also described. These processes are an alkylation process, a process for controlling ionic liquid catalyst activity in a reaction producing by-product conjunct polymers, and a continuous process for maintaining the acid content of an ionic liquid catalyst at a target acid content in a reaction producing by-product conjunct polymers.

Description

FIELD OF ARTThe processes described herein relate to determining ionic liquid catalyst deactivation. More particularly, the processes described herein involve determining ionic liquid catalyst deactivation by titrating one or more samples of the ionic liquid catalyst with a basic reagent.BACKGROUNDAn alkylation process, which is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,432,408 (“the '408 publication”), involves contacting isoparaffins, preferably isopentane, with olefins, preferably ethylene, in the presence of an ionic liquid catalyst to produce gasoline blending components. The contents of the '408 patent are incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.An ionic liquid catalyst distinguishes this novel alkylation process from conventional processes that convert light paraffins and light olefins to more lucrative products such as the alkylation of isoparaffins with olefins and the polymerization of olefins. For example, two of the more extensively used processes to alkylate isobutane with ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

Among other factors, it has been discovered that titration can be used as a technique to successfully monitor the deactivation level of an ionic liquid catalyst. The use of titration in the process for determining ionic liquid catalyst deactivation as disclosed herein enables commercial exploitation of ionic liquid catalysts in alkylation and other chemical processes employing ionic liquid catalysts during which ionic liquid catalysts become deactivated. Due to such deactivation, these chemical processes require monitoring ionic liquid catalyst deactivation in order to maintain sufficient reaction. Ionic liquid catalysts are also expensive to replace. Thus, the use of ionic liquid catalysts in these chemical processes is economically feasible only when the catalysts can be efficiently regenerated and recycled. The process for determining ionic liquid catalyst deactivation as disclosed herein and the other processes utilizing an embodiment of such process for determining ionic liquid catalyst deactivation can maintain sufficient reaction during ionic liquid deactivating chemical processes. The present processes can also permit efficient regeneration of ionic liquid catalysts and recycling of such regenerated catalysts.

Problems solved by technology

As a result of use, ionic liquid catalysts can become deactivated, i.e. lose activity, and may eventually need to be replaced.

For example, as aluminum trichloride in aluminum trichloride-containing ionic liquid catalysts becomes complexed with conjunct polymers, the activity of these ionic liquid catalysts becomes impaired or at least compromised.

Conjunct polymers may also become chlorinated and through their chloro groups may interact with aluminum trichloride in aluminum trichloride-containing catalysts and therefore reduce the overall activity of these catalysts or lessen their effectiveness as catalysts for their intended purpose.

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