Alkylation process

An alkylation process comprising:

• a) contacting a hydrocarbon mixture comprising at least one olefin and at least one isoparaffin with a catalyst mixture comprising HF, a volatility reducing additive and water within a reaction zone to thereby produce a reaction zone effluent;
• b) passing said reaction zone effluent to a settler wherein said reaction zone effluent is separated into a hydrocarbon phase and a catalyst mixture phase comprising HF, water, volatility reducing additive and acid soluble oil;
• c) removing at least a portion of said hydrocarbon phase from said settler to form a settler effluent stream;
• d) passing said settler effluent stream to a first separator;
• e) removing a first separator overhead stream from said first separator;
• f) condensing at least a portion of said first separator overhead stream to form an HF/water stream comprising HF, water and volatility reducing additive;
• g) passing said HF/water stream to a second separator for separation into a modified HF stream comprising HF and volatility reducing additive and into an HF/water azeotrope stream comprising HF and water;
• and
• h) passing at least a portion of said catalyst mixture phase to a third separator for separation into a third separator overhead stream comprising HF and water and into a third separator bottoms stream comprising HF, water, ASO and volatility reducing additive.

An alkylation process comprising the steps of:

• a) contacting a hydrocarbon mixture comprising at least one olefin and at least one isoparaffin with a catalyst mixture comprising HF, a volatility reducing additive and water within a reaction zone to thereby produce a reaction zone effluent;
• b) passing said reaction zone effluent to a settler wherein said reaction zone effluent is separated into a hydrocarbon phase and a catalyst mixture phase comprising HF, water, volatility reducing additive and acid soluble oil;
• c) removing at least a portion of said hydrocarbon phase from said settler to form a settler effluent stream;
• d) passing said settler effluent stream to a first separator;
• e) passing at least a portion of said catalyst mixture phase to a second separator for separation into a second separator overhead stream comprising HF and water and separation into a second separator bottoms stream comprising HF, water, ASO and volatility reducing additive;
• f) blocking the passing of said at least a portion of said catalyst mixture phase to said second separator in step e;
• g) removing a first separator overhead stream from said first separator;
• h) condensing at least a portion of said first separator overhead stream to form an HF/water stream comprising HF, water and volatility reducing additive;
• and
• i) passing said HF/water stream to said second separator for separation into a modified HF stream comprising HF and volatility reducing additive and into an HF/water azeotrope stream comprising HF and water.