Abstract: The present invention relates to a regeneration process for producing a regenerated ionic liquid catalyst from solids formed in an ionic liquid alkylation process wherein a first ionic liquid is used as a catalyst which is a composite ionic liquid comprising ammonium cations, and anions being composite coordinate anions derived from two or more metal salts, wherein at least one metal salt is an aluminium salt and any further metal salt is a salt of a metal selected from the group consisting of Group IB elements of the Periodic Table, Group IIB elements of the Periodic Table and transition elements of the Periodic Table, the regeneration process comprising (a) removing the solids from the reaction zone of the alkylation process; and (b) subsequently treating the solids with a second ionic liquid made from an ammonium salt as cation, and an aluminium salt as anion which is the same as the aluminium salt present in the first ionic liquid.

Abstract: Disclosed is an alkylation process using ionic liquid as catalyst, which process comprises separating halogenated hydrocarbons-rich fraction from the alkylation product by distillation and/or adsorption and reintroducing the separated fraction into the reaction system during the alkylation reaction, wherein the ionic liquid catalyst used in the alkylation reaction has a cation derived from hydrohalide of alkyl amine, hydrohalide of imidazole or hydrohalide of pyridine and an anion derived from one or more metallic compounds. The inventive process effectively utilizes the halogenated hydrocarbons in the alkylation product, prolongs the life of the ionic liquid catalyst, and reduces the halogen content in the alkylate oil.

Abstract: Methods for recovering gold from gold-bearing materials are provided. The methods rely upon on the self-assembly of KAuBr4 and ?-cyclodextrin (?-CD) in aqueous solution to form a co-precipitate, a 1:2 complex, KAuBr4•(?-CD)2 (“?•Br”), either alone or in an extended {[K(OH2)6][AuBr4]?(?-CD)2}n chain superstructure (FIG. 1). The co-precipitation of ?•Br is selective for gold, even in the presence of other metals, including other square-planar noble metals. The method enables one to isolate gold from gold-bearing materials from diverse sources, as further described.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for revamping an HF or sulphuric acid alkylation unit to an ionic liquid alkylation unit, wherein the HF or sulphuric acid alkylation unit comprise at least: —a reactor unit for contacting catalyst and hydrocarbon reactants; —a separator unit for separating a reactor effluent into a catalyst phase and an alkylate-comprising hydrocarbon phase; —a fractionator unit for fractionating the alkylate-comprising hydrocarbon phase into at least one stream comprising alkylate; and which method includes: —providing a second separator unit suitable for the separation of solids from liquids downstream of the reactor unit suitable to reduce the solids content in at least part of the reactor effluent.

Abstract: The present invention provides process for preparing an alkylate comprising contacting in a reactor a hydrocarbon mixture comprising at least an isoparaffin and an olefin with an acidic ionic liquid catalyst under alkylation conditions to obtain an alkylate, which process further comprises: —withdrawing an alkylate-comprising reactor effluent from the reactor, wherein the reactor effluent comprises an ionic liquid phase and a hydrocarbon phase; —separating at least part the reactor effluent into a hydrocarbon phase effluent and a multiple-phase effluent in a centrifugal separation unit; —fractionating at least part of said hydrocarbon phase effluent into at least a stream comprising alkylate and a stream comprising isoparaffin.

Abstract: The present invention provides process for preparing an alkylate comprising contacting in a reaction zone a hydrocarbon mixture comprising at least an isoparaffin and an olefin with an acidic ionic liquid catalyst under alkylation conditions to obtain an alkylate-comprising effluent, in which process: —solids are formed in the reaction zone; —a solids-comprising effluent comprising hydrocarbons and acidic ionic liquid is withdrawn from the reaction zone; and—at least part of the solids-comprising effluent is treated to remove at least part of the solids to obtain a solids-depleted effluent. The invention further provides a process for treating an acidic ionic liquid comprising at least 0.1 wt % of solids based on the total weight of the acidic ionic liquid, wherein at least part of the solids are removed.

Abstract: Disclosed is an alkylation process using ionic liquid as catalyst, which process comprises separating halogenated hydrocarbons-rich fraction from the alkylation product by distillation and/or adsorption and reintroducing the separated fraction into the reaction system during the alkylation reaction, wherein the ionic liquid catalyst used in the alkylation reaction has a cation derived from hydrohalide of alkyl amine, hydrohalide of imidazole or hydrohalide of pyridine and an anion derived from one or more metallic compounds. The inventive process effectively utilizes the halogenated hydrocarbons in the alkylation product, prolongs the life of the ionic liquid catalyst, and reduces the halogen content in the alkylate oil.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for revamping an HF or sulphuric acid alkylation unit to an ionic liquid alkylation unit, wherein the HF or sulphuric acid alkylation unit comprise at least: —a reactor unit for contacting catalyst and hydrocarbon reactants; —a separator unit for separating a reactor effluent into a catalyst phase and an alkylate-comprising hydrocarbon phase; —a fractionator unit for fractionating the alkylate-comprising hydrocarbon phase into at least one stream comprising alkylate; and which method includes: —providing one or more cyclone units downstream of the reactor unit to separate at least part of the reactor effluent in a catalyst phase and a alkylate-comprising hydrocarbon phase.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for preparing an alkylate, comprising: contacting in a reaction zone a hydrocarbon mixture comprising at least isoparaffin and an olefin with an acidic ionic liquid catalyst under alkylation conditions to obtain an alkylate; withdrawing an alkylate-comprising effluent from the reaction zone; separating at least part of the alkylate-comprising effluent into an hydrocarbon-rich phase and an ionic liquid catalyst-rich phase; fractionating part of the hydrocarbon-rich phase into at least an alkylate-comprising product and a isoparaffin-comprising stream; mixing another part of the hydrocarbon-rich phase with an olefin-comprising stream to form the hydrocarbon mixture; and providing the hydrocarbon mixture to the reaction zone.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for regenerating and maintaining the activity of an ionic liquid catalyst, which comprises supplying hydrogen halide or halogenated hydrocarbon to the acidic ionic liquid catalyst or alkylation materials during alkylation reaction, wherein said ionic liquid catalyst is used to catalyze alkylation of C4 alkene and alkane. Disclosed is also a method for producing alkylate by alkylation reaction, which comprises supplying hydrogen halide or halogenated hydrocarbon to the acidic ionic liquid catalyst or reaction materials during said alkylation reaction. The method can prolong the service life of the acidic ionic liquid catalyst, does not influence the quality of the alkylate, and has simple operation. The processed amount of materials may be 1000 times more than the used amount of the ionic liquid.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for preparing an alkylate, comprising: contacting in a reaction zone a hydrocarbon mixture comprising at least isoparaffin and an olefin with an acidic ionic liquid catalyst under alkylation conditions to obtain an alkylate; withdrawing an alkylate-comprising effluent from the reaction zone; separating at least part of the alkylate-comprising effluent into an hydrocarbon-rich phase and an ionic liquid catalyst-rich phase; fractionating part of the hydrocarbon-rich phase into at least an alkylate-comprising product and a isoparaffin-comprising stream; mixing another part of the hydrocarbon-rich phase with an olefin-comprising stream to form the hydrocarbon mixture; and providing the hydrocarbon mixture to the reaction zone.

Abstract: The present invention provides process for preparing an alkylate comprising contacting in a reactor a hydrocarbon mixture comprising at least an isoparaffin and an olefin with an acidic ionic liquid catalyst under alkylation conditions to obtain an alkylate, which process further comprises: -withdrawing an alkylate-comprising reactor effluent from the reactor, wherein the reactor effluent comprises an ionic liquid phase and a hydrocarbon phase; -separating at least part the reactor effluent into a hydrocarbon phase effluent and a multiple-phase effluent in a centrifugal separation unit; -fractionating at least part of said hydrocarbon phase effluent into at least a stream comprising alkylate and a stream comprising isoparaffin.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for revamping an HF or sulphuric acid alkylation unit to an ionic liquid alkylation unit, wherein the HF or sulphuric acid alkylation unit comprise at least: -a reactor unit for contacting catalyst and hydrocarbon reactants; -a separator unit for separating a reactor effluent into a catalyst phase and an alkylate-comprising hydrocarbon phase; -a fractionator unit for fractionating the alkylate-comprising hydrocarbon phase into at least one stream comprising alkylate; -a catalyst phase recycle means to recycle at least part of the catalyst phase from the separator unit to the reactor unit; which method includes: -adapting the catalyst phase recycle means by providing a means for acid injection and/or a means for halohydrocarbon injection into the catalyst recycle means. The invention further provides a method for the production of alkylate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for revamping an HF or sulphuric acid alkylation unit to an ionic liquid alkylation unit, wherein the HF or sulphuric acid alkylation unit comprise at least: a reactor unit for contacting catalyst and hydrocarbon reactants; a separator unit for separating a reactor effluent into a catalyst phase and an alkylate-comprising hydrocarbon phase; a fractionator unit for fractionating the alkylate-comprising hydrocarbon phase into at least one stream comprising alkylate; and which method includes: providing a second separator unit suitable for the separation of solids from liquids downstream of the reactor unit suitable to reduce the solids content in at least part of the reactor effluent.

Abstract: The present invention provides process for preparing an alkylate comprising contacting in a reaction zone a hydro-carbon mixture comprising at least an isoparaffin and an olefin with an acidic ionic liquid catalyst under alkylation conditions to obtain an alkylate-comprising effluent, in which process: solids are formed in the reaction zone; a solids-comprising effluent comprising hydrocarbons and acidic ionic liquid is withdrawn from the reaction zone; and at least part of the solids-comprising effluent is treated to remove at least part of the solids to obtain a solids-depleted effluent. The invention further provides a process for treating an acidic ionic liquid comprising at least 0.1 wt % of solids based on the total weight of the acidic ionic liquid, wherein at least part of the solids are removed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for revamping an HF or sulphuric acid alkylation unit to an ionic liquid alkylation unit, wherein the HF or sulphuric acid alkylation unit comprise at least: a reactor unit for contacting catalyst and hydrocarbon reactants; a separator unit for separating a reactor effluent into a catalyst phase and an alkylate-comprising hydrocarbon phase; a fractionator unit for fractionating the alkylate-comprising hydrocarbon phase into at least one stream comprising alkylate; and which method includes: providing one or more cyclone units downstream of the reactor unit to separate at least part of the reactor effluent in a catalyst phase and a alkylate-comprising hydrocarbon phase.

Abstract: The present invention provides process for preparing an alkylate comprising contacting in a reactor a hydrocarbon mixture comprising at least an isoparaffin and an olefin with an acidic ionic liquid catalyst under alkylation conditions to obtain an alkylate, which process further comprises: —withdrawing an alkylate-comprising reactor effluent from the reactor, wherein the reactor effluent comprises an ionic liquid phase and a hydrocarbon phase; —separating at least part the reactor effluent into an ionic liquid phase effluent and a multiple-phase effluent in a first separation unit; —separating at least part of the multiple-phase effluent into a hydrocarbon phase effluent and another effluent in a second separation unit; and recycling at least part of the ionic liquid phase effluent to the reactor.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a method for manufacturing alkylate oil using a composite ionic liquid as catalyst. A mixture of isobutane and C4 olefins is used as the raw material, and a composite ionic liquid is used as catalyst to carry out an alkylation reaction. The alkane/olefin ratio in the raw material is higher than 1:1. In the composition of the aforementioned composite ionic liquid catalyst, the cations come from a hydrohalide of an alkyl-containing amine or pyridine, while the anions are composite coordinate anions coming from two or more metal compounds. One of the metal compounds is an aluminum compound, while other metal compounds are compounds of Group IB and Group IIB elements of the Periodic Table and the transition metals. The present invention also provides a design of static mixer reaction apparatus that can realize the aforementioned manufacturing method.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a method for manufacturing alkylate oil using a composite ionic liquid as catalyst. A mixture of isobutane and C4 olefins is used as the raw material, and a composite ionic liquid is used as catalyst to carry out an alkylation reaction. The alkane/olefin ratio in the raw material is higher than 1:1. In the composition of the aforementioned composite ionic liquid catalyst, the cations come from a hydrohalide of an alkyl-containing amine or pyridine, while the anions are composite coordinate anions coming from two or more metal compounds. One of the metal compounds is an aluminum compound, while other metal compounds are compounds of Group IB and Group IIB elements of the Periodic Table and the transition metals. The present invention also provides a design of static mixer reaction apparatus that can realize the aforementioned manufacturing method.