Processes for ionic liquid catalyzed upgrading of oxygenate containing hydrocarbon feedstocks

Abstract

Ionic liquid catalyzed hydrocarbon conversion processes for upgrading oxygenate containing olefinic hydrocarbon feedstocks may involve treating an oxygenate containing hydrocarbon stream to provide an olefin enriched hydrocarbon stream, which may be contacted with an ionic liquid catalyst under hydrocarbon conversion conditions to provide a converted hydrocarbon stream containing one or more halogenated components; such components may be removed from the converted hydrocarbon stream to provide one or more dechlorinated hydrocarbon products.

1 . An ionic liquid catalyzed hydrocarbon conversion process, comprising:
 a) treating an oxygenate containing hydrocarbon stream in an olefin enrichment zone under olefin enrichment conditions to provide an olefin enriched hydrocarbon stream comprising olefins;   b) contacting the olefin enriched hydrocarbon stream with an ionic liquid catalyst in a hydrocarbon conversion zone under hydrocarbon conversion conditions to provide a converted hydrocarbon stream comprising one or more halogenated components; and   c) removing the halogenated components from the converted hydrocarbon stream to provide a dechlorinated hydrocarbon product.   
     
     
         2 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein step c) comprises contacting the converted hydrocarbon stream with a hydrodechlorination catalyst in the presence of hydrogen in a hydrodechlorination zone under hydrodechlorination conditions. 
     
     
         3 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein step a) comprises contacting the oxygenate containing hydrocarbon stream with a dehydration catalyst in a dehydration zone under dehydration conditions. 
     
     
         4 . The process according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 d) prior to step b), washing the olefin enriched hydrocarbon stream with an aqueous medium, whereby residual oxygenates are removed from the olefin enriched hydrocarbon stream.   
     
     
         5 . The process according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 e) prior to step b), contacting the olefin enriched hydrocarbon stream with an adsorbent, whereby residual oxygenates and water are removed from the olefin enriched hydrocarbon stream.   
     
     
         6 . The process according to  claim 5 , wherein the adsorbent comprises a molecular sieve. 
     
     
         7 . The process according to  claim 3 , wherein the dehydration catalyst is selected from the group consisting of alumina and amorphous silica-alumina. 
     
     
         8 . The process according to  claim 3 , wherein the dehydration catalyst comprises alumina doped with an element selected from the group consisting of phosphorus, boron, fluorine, zirconium, titanium, gallium, magnesium, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The process according to  claim 3 , wherein the dehydration catalyst comprises amorphous silica-alumina doped with an element selected from the group consisting of phosphorus, boron, fluorine, zirconium, titanium, gallium, magnesium, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon conversion conditions comprise oligomerization conditions, and wherein olefins in the olefin enriched hydrocarbon stream are oligomerized. 
     
     
         11 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the olefin enriched hydrocarbon stream further comprises isoparaffins, and the hydrocarbon conversion conditions comprise alkylation conditions, wherein olefins in the olefin enriched hydrocarbon stream are alkylated with the isoparaffins. 
     
     
         12 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon conversion conditions comprise oligomerization conditions and alkylation conditions. 
     
     
         13 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the oxygenate containing hydrocarbon stream comprises a Fischer-Tropsch condensate. 
     
     
         14 . The process according to  claim 2 , wherein a first chloride content of the converted hydrocarbon stream is greater than 50 ppm, and a second chloride content of the dechlorinated hydrocarbon product is less than 50 ppm. 
     
     
         15 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the converted hydrocarbon stream comprises a distillate enriched stream. 
     
     
         16 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the converted hydrocarbon stream comprises a base oil (700° F.+) enriched stream. 
     
     
         17 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the ionic liquid catalyst comprises a chloroaluminate ionic liquid. 
     
     
         18 . An ionic liquid catalyzed hydrocarbon conversion process, comprising:
 a) contacting an oxygenate containing hydrocarbon stream with a dehydration catalyst in a dehydration zone under dehydration conditions to provide an olefin enriched hydrocarbon stream;   b) contacting the olefin enriched hydrocarbon stream with an ionic liquid catalyst in an alkylation zone under alkylation conditions to provide an alkylate product comprising one or more halogenated components; and   c) contacting the alkylate product with a hydrodechlorination catalyst in the presence of hydrogen in a hydrodechlorination zone under hydrodechlorination conditions to provide a dechlorinated alkylate product.   
     
     
         19 . The process according to  claim 18 , wherein:
 the hydrodechlorination catalyst comprises an element selected from the group consisting of elements of Groups 6, 8, 9, 10, and 11 of the Periodic Table, and combinations thereof, present as metals, oxides, or sulfides; and   step c) comprises contacting the alkylate product with the hydrodechlorination catalyst at a temperature in the range from about 300° F. to 750° F., a pressure in the range from about 100 to 5000 psig, a liquid hourly space velocity (LHSV) feed rate in the range from about 0.1 to 50, and a hydrogen supply in the range from about 200 to 8000 standard cubic feet per barrel (SCFB) of the alkylate product.   
     
     
         20 . An ionic liquid catalyzed hydrocarbon conversion process, comprising:
 a) contacting an oxygenate containing hydrocarbon stream with a dehydration catalyst in a dehydration zone under dehydration conditions to provide an olefin enriched hydrocarbon stream;   b) contacting the olefin enriched hydrocarbon stream with an ionic liquid catalyst in an oligomerization zone under oligomerization conditions to provide an oligomeric product comprising one or more halogenated components; and   c) contacting the oligomeric product with a hydrodechlorination catalyst in the presence of hydrogen in a hydrodechlorination zone under hydrodechlorination conditions to provide a dechlorinated oligomeric product.   
     
     
         21 . The process according to  claim 20 , wherein:
 the hydrodechlorination catalyst comprises an element selected from the group consisting of elements of Groups 6, 8, 9, 10, and 11 of the Periodic Table, and combinations thereof, present as metals, oxides, or sulfides; and   step c) comprises contacting the oligomeric product with the hydrodechlorination catalyst at a temperature in the range from about 300° F. to 750° F., a pressure in the range from about 100 to 5000 psig, a liquid hourly space velocity (LHSV) feed rate in the range from about 0.1 to 50, and a hydrogen supply in the range from about 200 to 8000 standard cubic feet per barrel (SCFB) of the oligomeric product.