Alkylation process

A process for alkylating alkanes which consist essentially of contacting at least one feed alkane containing about 3-6 carbon atoms per molecule with at least one alkene containing about 3-6 carbon atoms per molecule with at least one solid catalyst composition at effective alkylation conditions, so as to form an alkylate comprising at least one product alkane which contains a greater number of carbon atoms per molecule than said at least one feed alkane;

• wherein said solid catalyst composition has been prepared by a preparation method consisting essentially of the steps of:
• (1) heating for a period of at least 1 hour, at a temperature in the range of about 40.degree. C. to about 90.degree. C., in the substantial absence of water, a mixture consisting essentially of:
• (a) aluminum chloride, (b) at least one metal sulfate selected from the group consisting of copper(II) sulfate, nickel(II) sulfate, cobalt(II) sulfate, iron(II) sulfate, magnesium sulfate and calcium sulfate, (c) at least one solid inorganic refractory material having a surface area, measured by the BET method employing N.sub.2, of at least about 50 m.sup.2 /g, selected from the group consisting of alumina, silica, silica-alumina, aluminum phosphate and aluminum phosphate/oxide, and (d) at least one chlorinated hydrocarbon selected from the group consisting of dichloromethane, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, 1,1-dichloroethane, 1,2-dichloroethane, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, 1,1-dichloropropane, 2,2-dichloropropane, 1-chlorobutane and 2-chloro-2-methylbutane;
• wherein the molar ratio of aluminum chloride to said at least one metal sulfate is at least about 2:1;
• and
• (2) separating the solid component of the reaction mixture formed in step (1) from said at least one chlorinated hydrocarbon under a dry gas atmosphere.