Abstract: A process for alkylating an alkylatable aromatic compound is disclosed, in which the process includes: (a) contacting the alkylatable aromatic compound and an alkylating agent with an alkylation catalyst under alkylation conditions; and (b) when said alkylation catalyst has become at least partially deactivated, contacting said alkylation catalyst with a C1-C8 hydrocarbon under alkylation catalyst reactivation conditions. The process provides comparable rejuvenation of catalyst activity as air rengenaration with minimal or no increase in amounts of undesirable byproducts such as polypropylbenzenes in the case of benzene alkylation with propylene.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for separating conjunct polymers and sulfolane from a mixture containing conjunct polymers, sulfolane, and hydrofluoric acid comprising the sequential steps of:(a) separating hydrofluoric acid from said mixture to provide an intermediate stream containing less than about 30 percent hydrofluoric acid by weight;(b) gravitationally separating said intermediate stream into a sulfolane-enriched stream and a conjunct polymer-enriched stream;(c) contacting said sulfolane-enriched stream with a polar extraction solvent to provide an extract stream enriched in sulfolane and a raffinate stream enriched in conjunct polymers;(d) stripping the polar extraction solvent from said sulfolane-enriched extract stream; and(e) recovering sulfolane from said enriched stream of step (d).

Abstract: This invention provides a method for separating ASO from a mixture containing ASO, HF and sulfolane comprising the steps of:(a) contacting said mixture with a sorbent to selectively sorb HF and water from said mixture to evolve an intermediate product containing less than 5 weight percent HF;(b) charging said intermediate product to a gravitational separation zone;(c) holding said intermediate product in said gravitational separation zone for time sufficient to evolve two at least partially immiscible liquid phases in said gravitational separation zone; and(d) withdrawing a less-dense phase enriched in ASO and a more-dense phase enriched in sulfolane from said gravitational separation zone.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for separating conjunct polymers which are formed as byproducts of acid catalyzed isoparaffin-olefin alkylation and sulfolane from a mixture containing conjunct polymers, sulfolane, and hydrofluoric acid comprising the sequential steps of:(a) separating hydrofluoric acid from a mixture containing conjunct polymers, sulfolane, and hydrofluoric acid to provide a first intermediate stream containing less than about 30 percent hydrofluoric acid by weight;(b) mixing said intermediate stream with a nonpolar extraction solvent to provide a second intermediate stream; and(c) gravitationally separating said intermediate stream into a less dense extract stream enriched in conjunct polymers and a more dense liquid stream enriched in sulfolane.