Apparatus for preparing an ionic liquid catalyst for disposal

Abstract

We provide an apparatus for preparing a used catalyst for disposal, comprising: a. a vessel used to hydrolyze a used ionic liquid catalyst comprising an anhydrous metal halide, to produce a hydrolyzed product; and b. a separator used to separate a liquid phase and a solid phase from the hydrolyzed product; wherein the liquid phase comprises a non-water-reactive aqueous phase and a hydrocarbon phase; and wherein the solid phase comprises a solid portion of the hydrolyzed product, that is not water reactive.

It is claimed: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for preparing a used catalyst for disposal, comprising:
 a. a vessel, holding a basic solution, used to hydrolyze a used ionic liquid catalyst comprising an anhydrous metal halide, to produce a hydrolyzed product, wherein a hydrogen halide gas is evolved and dissolved into the basic solution in the vessel; and   b. a separator used to separate a liquid phase and a solid phase from the hydrolyzed product; wherein the liquid phase comprises a non-water-reactive aqueous phase having a pH of 4 to 10 and a hydrocarbon phase; and wherein the solid phase is not water reactive.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the used ionic liquid catalyst is selected from the group consisting of a hydrocarbyl-substituted-pyridinium chloroaluminate, a hydrocarbyl-substituted-imidazolium chloroaluminate, a quaternary amine chloroaluminate, a trialkyl amine hydrogen chloride chloroaluminate, an alkyl pyridine hydrogen chloride chloroaluminate, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the anhydrous metal halide is selected from the group consisting of AlCl 3 , AlBr 3 , GaCl 3 , GaBr 3 , InCl 3 , InBr 3 , and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the basic solution comprises a base selected from the group consisting of LiOH, NaOH, KOH, CsOH, RbOH, Mg(OH) 2 , Ca(OH) 2 , Sr(OH) 2 , NH 4 OH, Ba(OH) 2 , and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein less than a full charge of the used ionic liquid catalyst is removed from a hydrocarbon conversion process unit such that the hydrocarbon conversion process unit operates continuously. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the used ionic liquid catalyst comprises conjunct polymer. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , additionally comprising a liquid/liquid separator used to separate the liquid phase into the non-water-reactive aqueous phase from the hydrocarbon phase. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen halide gas is neutralized. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the used ionic liquid catalyst comprises one or more corrosion metals other than aluminum and the one or more corrosion metals, or products thereof, are collected in the solid phase. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a hydrolysis is performed continuously by adding the used ionic liquid catalyst to the vessel while the hydrolyzed product is taken out of the vessel. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein greater than 80 wt % of the anhydrous metal halide is hydrolyzed and collected in the solid phase. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the vessel is fabricated of a metal, a plastic, a resin, or a glass. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the vessel is designed to give turbulent flow so that thorough mixing of the used ionic liquid catalyst and a basic solution will result. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the separator is a gravity filter or a pressure rapid filter.