Alkylation of aromatic hydrocarbons with isoparaffins

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF ALKYLATING AN AROMATIC HYDROCARBON WHICH COMPRISES SUBJECTING A HYDROCARBON MIXTURE IN WHICH THE REACTIVE COMPONENTS CONSISTS ESSENTIALLY OF AN AROMATIC HYDROCARBON, AN ISOPARAFFIN HAVING 4 TO 20 CARBON ATOMS PER MOLECULE AND AN ALIPHATIC OLEFIN, HAVING A SKELETAL CONFIGURATION DIFFERENT FROM THAT OF THE ISOPARAFFIN, IN ADMIXTURE WITH AN ALKYLATION CATALYST CONSISTING OF SUBSTANTIALLY ANHYDROUS HYDROFLUORIC ACID, THE MOLECULAR RATIO OF SAID ISOPARAFFIN TO SAID AROMATIC HYDROCARBON BEING AT LEAST 10:1, THE MOLECULAR RATIO OF SAID AROMATIC HYDROCARBON TO SAID OLEFIN BEING BETWEEN 0.5:1 AND 2.0:1 TO A REACTION TEMPERATURE OF FROM 20 TO 30* C. FOR A REACTION TIME OF AT LEAST 5 MINUTES BUT NOT OVER ONE HOUR AND UNDER A PRESSURE SUCH AS TO MAINTAIN THE MATERIALS PRESENT IN THE LIQUID PHASE, WHEREBY SAID AROMATIC HYDROCARBON IS ALKYLATED WITH SAID OLEFIN AND IS CONCOMITANTLY ALKYLATED WITH AN ALKYL GROUP DERIVED FROM AND HAVING THE SKELETAL STRUCTRUE OF SAID ISOPARAFFIN AND RECOVERING SAID AROMATIC HYDROCARBON ALKYLATED WITH SAID ALKYL GROUP DERIVED FROM AND HAVING THE SKELETAL STRUCTRUE OF SAID ISOPARAFFIN AS THE PRODUCT OF THE PROCESS.