Solid-Acid Catalyst for Refinery Alkylation

70071 High-octane alkylate, a major blending component of reformulated gasoline, is currently made using liquid acid catalysts. For nearly three decades, major oil companies have been active in developing solid acid catalysts as an alternative to the hazardous liquid acids. Although some solid-acid catalysts catalyze the alkylation reaction, they deactivate rapidly on stream. The problem of rapid deactivation by coke formation has prevented virtually every known solid-acid alkylation catalyst from being a commercially viable and environmentally-superior alternative to conventional liquid-acid alkylation processes. This project will develop a practical solid-acid catalyst that solves the problem of rapid deactivation by optimally distributing the acid sites within the catalyst pellet, thereby significantly reducing the olefin concentration at acid sites. During Phase I, the new class of solid acid catalysts will be synthesized, characterized, and tested for paraffin alkylation. Performance of this new class of catalysts will be compared to the performance of conventional solid-acid catalysts. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: A practical solid acid catalytic system for paraffin alkylation should provide refiners with a cost-effective alternative for producing clean fuels without the need for corrosive liquid acids. The new alkylation process would eliminate safety and maintenance concerns associated with using liquid acids and would be an economically viable alternative to installing mitigation and other safety equipment for modernizing an existing hydrogen fluoride alkylation unit.