(589e) Sulfuric Acid Catalyzed Isobutane-Butene Alkylation Promoted with Ionic Liquids or Trifluoroethanol

Sulfuric acid
catalyzed isobutane-butene alkylation promoted with ionicliquids or
trifluoroethanol

Hailing
Ren^ab, Guoying Zhao^a*, Peng Cui^ab,
Jun Huang^b,Suojiang
Zhang^a*

^a
Institute of Process
Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P. O. Box 353,  Beijing, 100190,
China

Fax : +86 10 82627080

^b
State Key Laboratory of
Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical
Engineering, Nanjing University of Technology, Nanjing,  210009, China

Fax: +86 25
83172263

Abstract

Small
amounts of ionic liquids or trifluoroethanol(TFEA), have been studied as promoters
for sulfuric acid catalyzed alkylation of isobutane/butene. Long-term studies
up to 40+ recycles indicated that the working life of H₂SO₄
with suitable ionic liquid-based promoter was prolonged at least three times
that of sulfuric acid. New catalytic active species formed in-situ by the above
promoter and H₂SO₄ was detected by NMR and ESI-MS analytic
technology. In addition, the promoters are believed to lower the interfacial tension
of hydrocarbon feeds/sulfuric acids dispersion and thus improve the quality of
alkylate.