# US 10,870,610 B2 · Production of neopentane > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,870,610 B2 - Document ID: US10870610B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/324,788 - Filed: 2017-08-18 - Published: 2019-07-25 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2016-08-29 - Assignees: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc. - Applicants: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc. - Inventors: Kun Wang; Lorenzo C. DeCaul; Steven W. Levine; Etienne Mazoyer; James R. Lattner; Helge Jaensch; Ali A. Kheir - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10870610B2 ## CPC - C07C 2/56: Addition to acyclic hydrocarbons - C07C 2/58: Catalytic processes - C07C 4/06: Catalytic processes {(C07C4/025 takes precedence)} - C07C 4/10: from acyclic hydrocarbons - C08J 9/0014: {Use of organic additives} - C08J 9/141: {Hydrocarbons} - C09K 5/08: Materials not undergoing a change of physical state when used (C09K5/16, C09K5/20 take precedence) - C10L 1/04: essentially based on blends of hydrocarbons - C07C 2521/08: Silica - C07C 2523/46: Ruthenium, rhodium, osmium or iridium - C07C 2523/58: with alkali- or alkaline earth metals or beryllium - C07C 2523/755: Nickel - C09K 5/00: Heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage materials, e.g. refrigerants; Materials for the production of heat or cold by chemical reactions other than by combustion - C07C: ACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS - C08J: WORKING-UP; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F, C08G or C08H (working, e.g. shaping, of plastics B29) - C09K: MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE - C10L: FUELS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NATURAL GAS; SYNTHETIC NATURAL GAS OBTAINED BY PROCESSES NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C10G OR C10K; LIQUIFIED PETROLEUM GAS; USE OF ADDITIVES TO FUELS OR FIRES; FIRE-LIGHTERS ## Abstract Disclosed herein are processes for producing neopentane. The processes generally relate to demethylating isooctane to produce neopentane. The isooctane may be provided by the alkylation of isobutane with butylenes. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A process for producing neopentane, the process comprising: (a) contacting isobutane with butylenes under alkylation conditions effective to produce an alkylation product comprising isooctane; and (b) demethylating the isooctane by contacting the isooctane with hydrogen at a temperature of from 200 to 500° C., a hydrogen partial pressure of about 7 psia to about 500 psia, and in the presence of a catalyst comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, Ni, Rh, Jr, Ru, Pt, Pd, combinations thereof, compounds thereof, and mixtures of compounds thereof, to produce a demethylation product comprising at least 10 wt % neopentane based on the weight of the demethylation product, wherein the catalyst further comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of Cu, Au, Ag, Sn, Zn, Re, combinations thereof, compounds thereof, and mixtures of compounds thereof. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein at least part of the isooctane is separated from the alkylation product prior to demethylation. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The process of claim 2, wherein separating the isooctane from the alkylation product comprises distillation. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The process of claim 3, wherein the alkylation product is separated into fractions comprising (1) an unreacted isobutane fraction, (2) an isooctane fraction, and (3) a non-isooctane C8+hydrocarbon fraction. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The process of claim 4, wherein the contacting is carried out in a reaction vessel, and wherein the unreacted isobutane fraction is recycled to the reaction vessel. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the butylenes are provided in a raffinate stream obtained from cracking a naphtha stream. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the contacting is carried out in the presence of a catalyst (A) comprising sulfuric acid, hydrofluoric acid, or mixtures thereof. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The process of claim 7, further comprising washing the alkylation product with water. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The process of claim 7, wherein the contacting is carried out at a temperature ranging from about 0° C. to about 50° C. and wherein the molar ratio of isobutane to butylenes supplied to the contacting ranges from about 10:1 to about 75:1. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the contacting is carried out in the presence of a catalyst (B) selected from the group consisting of chlorided alumina, fluorided alumina, acidic metal oxide, acidic mixed metal oxide, zeolites, and mixtures thereof. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The process of claim 10, wherein the contacting is carried out at a temperature ranging from about 100° C. to about 400° C. and wherein the molar ratio of isobutane to butylenes supplied to the contacting ranges from about 50:1 to about 200:1. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, further comprising separating at least part of the neopentane from the demethylation product. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The process of claim 12, wherein separating the neopentane from the demethylation product comprises distillation. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The process of claim 13, wherein the demethylation product is separated into fractions comprising (1) a C4−hydrocarbon fraction, (2) a neopentane fraction, and (3) a C6+hydrocarbon fraction. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The process of claim 14, wherein the demethylation is carried out in a reaction vessel, and wherein the C6+hydrocarbon fraction is recycled to the reaction vessel. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the catalyst (C) comprises a support material selected from the group consisting of silica, theta-alumina, clay, pentasil, aluminophosphate, carbon, titania, zirconia, and mixtures thereof. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the demethylation is carried out under conditions comprising at least one of a temperature from about 220° C. to about 300° C., a pressure from about 15 psig to about 200 psig (about 205 kPa absolute to about 1400 kPa absolute), or a hydrogen to hydrocarbon molar ratio from about 1:1 to about 14:1. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the demethylation product comprises from about 25 wt % to about 50 wt % neopentane based on the weight of the demethylation product and from about 0 wt % to about 10 wt % C6+hydrocarbon components based on the weight of the demethylation product. ### Claim 19 A process for producing neopentane, the process comprising: (a) providing a stream comprising isooctane; and (b) demethylating the isooctane by contacting the isooctane with hydrogen at a temperature of from 200 to 500° C., a hydrogen partial pressure of about 7 psia to about 500 psia, and in the presence of a catalyst comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, Ni, Rh, Ir, Ru, Pt, Pd, combinations thereof, compounds thereof, and mixtures of compounds thereof, to produce a demethylation product comprising at least 10 wt % neopentane based on the weight of the demethylation product, wherein the catalyst further comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of Cu, Au, Ag, Sn, Zn, Re, combinations thereof, compounds thereof, and mixtures of compounds thereof.