Catalytic isomerization of heptane using ionic liquids

摘要

Processes for the disproportionation and isomerization of a C7 hydrocarbon feed using a liquid catalyst comprising an ionic liquid and a carbocation promoter are described. The ionic liquid is unsupported, and the reactions occur at temperatures below about 200° C.

主权项

1. A hydrocarbon conversion process comprising:
isomerizing a hydrocarbon feed comprising normal C7 alkane or branched C7 alkane by contacting the hydrocarbon feed with a liquid catalyst in a reaction zone under isomerization conditions to form a product mixture comprising at least about 10 wt % branched C7 alkanes if the hydrocarbon feed was the normal C7 alkane or at least about 2 wt % normal C7 alkanes if the hydrocarbon feed was the branched C7 alkane in 1 hr based on the normal C7 alkane or branched C7 alkane in the hydrocarbon feed, wherein the liquid catalyst comprises an unsupported ionic liquid and a carbocation promoter comprising a haloalkane, and wherein a mass ratio of the liquid catalyst to the hydrocarbon feed is less than 0.75:1;
wherein the ionic liquid comprises an organic cation selected from the group consisting of: where R1-R21 are independently selected from C1-C20 hydrocarbons, C1C20 hydrocarbon derivatives, halogens, and H;wherein the ionic liquid comprises an anion selected from the group consisting of AlCl4−, Al2Cl7−, Al3Cl10−, AlCl3Br−, Al2Cl6Br−, Al3Cl9Br−, AlBr4−, Al2Br7−, Al3Br10−, GaCl4−, Ga2Cl7−, Ga3Cl10−, GaCl3Br−, Ga2Cl6Br−, Ga3Cl9Br−, CuCl2−, Cu2Cl3−, Cu3Cl4−, ZnCl3−, FeCl3−, FeCl4−, Fe3Cl7−, PF6−, and BF4−;wherein the haloalkane comprises 2-chloro-2-methylpropane, 2-chloropropane, 2-chlorobutane, 2-chloro-2-methylbutane, 2-chloropentane, 1-chlorohexane, 3-chloro-3-methylpentane, or combinations thereof; anddisproportionating the hydrocarbon feed concurrently with the isomerizing of the hydrocarbon feed.