Sulfuric acid catalyzed alkylation process

A process for sulfuric acid catalyzed alkylation comprising:

• selecting a C3-C5 olefin composition;
• selecting a concentration of sulfuric acid in an alkylation reaction zone;
• selecting a concentration of a surfactant based on the C3-C5 olefin composition selected and the sulfuric acid concentration selected;
• reacting the C3-C5 olefin composition and an isoparaffin in the presence of a sulfuric acid catalyst and the surfactant in the alkylation reaction zone operating at alkylation reaction conditions to form a reaction mixture comprising an alkylation product, the reaction mixture comprising a Winsor Type III phase system, wherein the surfactant has a solubility at 25° C. of 0.5% or less in the C3-C5 olefin composition, the isoparaffin, the sulfuric acid catalyst, and the alkylation product, and wherein a calculated RON of the alkylation product is greater than a calculated RON of an alkylation product reacted in the absence of the surfactant;
• and
• separating the alkylation product from the reaction mixture.

A process for sulfuric acid catalyzed alkylation comprising:

• selecting a C3-C5 olefin composition;
• selecting a concentration of a surfactant based on the C3-C5 olefin composition selected, wherein the surfactant comprises a dioctadecyl-dimethyl-ammonium halide;
• reacting the C3-C5 olefin composition and an isoparaffin in the presence of a sulfuric acid catalyst and the surfactant in the alkylation reaction zone operating at alkylation reaction conditions to form a reaction mixture comprising an alkylation product, the reaction mixture comprising a Winsor Type III phase system, wherein the surfactant has a solubility at 25° C. of 0.5% or less in the C3-C5 olefin composition, the isoparaffin, the sulfuric acid catalyst, and the alkylation product, and wherein a RON of the alkylation product is greater than a RON of an alkylation product reacted in the absence of the surfactant;
• separating the reaction mixture into a hydrocarbon stream comprising the alkylation product and a bottom stream comprising an emulsion comprising sulfuric acid and the surfactant;
• separating the hydrocarbon stream into an alkylation product stream and a recycle stream comprising at least one of unreacted isoparaffin and unreacted olefin;
• recovering the alkylation product stream;
• and
• optionally recycling the recycle stream to the alkylation reaction zone;
• wherein:
• when the C3-C5 olefin composition comprises a linear C4-C5 olefin, the concentration of the surfactant is less than 100 ppmw of the reaction mixture;
• and
• when the C3-C5 olefin composition comprises a branched olefin or a mixture of linear and branched olefins, the concentration of the surfactant is greater than or equal to 100 ppmw of the reaction mixture.