Process for producing high quality gasoline blending components in two modes

A process for producing high quality gasoline blending components and distillate products, comprising:

• a) feeding a C3 to C6 olefin and a C4 to C6 isoparaffin to an alkylation reactor;
• b) operating the alkylation reactor in an alkylate mode by controlling a level of a conjunct polymer in an alkylation catalyst in the alkylation reactor;
• wherein a gasoline blending component is made having a RON of 90 or higher;
• wherein during the alkylate mode the alkylation reactor produces greater than 80 wt % of a C5+ hydrocarbon stream that boils at 280° F. or below and essentially all of the C5+ hydrocarbon stream is a gasoline boiling range material;
• and
• c) operating the alkylation reactor in a distillate mode by increasing the level of the conjunct polymer in the alkylation catalyst;
• wherein a second gasoline blending component and a distillate product is made, wherein the second gasoline blending component has a second RON of 85 or higher;
• and wherein during the distillate mode the alkylation reactor produces a distillate C5+ hydrocarbon stream having greater than 50 wt % that boils above 280° F.