Regeneration of acidic ionic liquid catalysts

Abstract

We provide a process for regenerating a used acidic ionic liquid catalyst which has been deactivated by conjunct polymers in a reactor, by removing at least 57 wt % of the conjunct polymers originally present in the used acidic ionic liquid catalyst in a separate regeneration reactor, so as to increase the activity of the catalyst. We also provide a regenerated used acidic ionic liquid catalyst having increased activity.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A process for regenerating a used acidic ionic liquid catalyst which has been deactivated by conjunct polymers in a reactor, comprising removing conjunct polymers originally present in the used acidic ionic liquid catalyst in a separate regeneration reactor, so as to increase an activity of the used acidic ionic liquid catalyst. 
     
     
         2 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein at least 57 wt % of the conjunct polymers originally present in the used acidic ionic liquid catalyst are removed. 
     
     
         3 . The process according to  claim 2 , wherein greater than 90 wt % of the conjunct polymers originally present in the used acidic ionic liquid catalyst are removed. 
     
     
         4 . The process according to  claim 2 , wherein up to 98.4 wt % of the conjunct polymers originally present in the used acidic ionic liquid catalyst are removed. 
     
     
         5 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the used acidic ionic liquid catalyst has been used to catalyze a Friedel-Craft reaction. 
     
     
         6 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the used acidic ionic liquid catalyst comprises an imidazolium, pyridinium, phosphonium or tetralkylammonium derivative, or their mixtures. 
     
     
         7 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the used acidic ionic liquid catalyst is a chloroaluminate ionic liquid. 
     
     
         8 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the removing of the conjunct polymers produces a regenerated ionic liquid catalyst having better activity than a fresh ionic liquid catalyst from which the used acidic ionic liquid catalyst was made. 
     
     
         9 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the removing of the conjunct polymers produces a regenerated ionic liquid catalyst having a selectivity that is identical to an original selectivity of a fresh ionic liquid catalyst. 
     
     
         10 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein a level of conjunct polymers in the used acidic ionic liquid catalyst which has been deactivated is at least 15.5 wt %. 
     
     
         11 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the used acidic ionic liquid catalyst which has been deactivated is introduced continuously into the regeneration reactor. 
     
     
         12 . A regenerated chloroaluminate ionic liquid catalyst. 
     
     
         13 . The regenerated chloroaluminate ionic liquid catalyst of  claim 12 , wherein at least 57 wt % of conjunct polymers originally present in a used chloroaluminate ionic liquid catalyst have been removed. 
     
     
         14 . The regenerated chloroaluminate ionic liquid catalyst of  claim 13 , wherein the regenerated chloroaluminate ionic liquid catalyst has better activity for a paraffin alkylation than a fresh catalyst from which the used chloroaluminate ionic liquid catalyst was made. 
     
     
         15 . The regenerated chloroaluminate ionic liquid catalyst of  claim 13 , wherein the regenerated chloroaluminate ionic liquid catalyst has better activity for a paraffin alkylation than a fresh catalyst from which the used chloroaluminate ionic liquid catalyst was made, and wherein a selectivity of the regenerated chloroaluminate ionic liquid catalyst for the paraffin alkylation is identical to an original selectivity of the fresh catalyst. 
     
     
         16 . The regenerated chloroaluminate ionic liquid catalyst of  claim 13 , wherein a selectivity of the regenerated chloroaluminate ionic liquid catalyst for a paraffin alkylation is identical to an original selectivity of a fresh catalyst from which the used chloroaluminate ionic liquid catalyst was made. 
     
     
         17 . The regenerated chloroaluminate ionic liquid catalyst of  claim 12 , comprising 4 to 7.9 wt % conjunct polymers and having increased activity for a paraffin alkylation compared to a used chloroaluminate ionic liquid catalyst before a regeneration. 
     
     
         18 . A process for regenerating a used acidic ionic liquid catalyst which has been deactivated by complexation with conjunct polymers by freeing the conjunct polymers from complexation so as to increase an activity of the used acidic ionic liquid catalyst. 
     
     
         19 . A process for regenerating a used H 2 SO 4  acidic catalyst by removing conjunct polymers so as to increase an activity of the used H 2 SO 4  acidic catalyst.