ALKYLATION

Alkylation is the transfer of an alkyl group from one molecule to another.

Alkylation, in petroleum refining, is a chemical process in which low molecular mass gaseous
hydrocarbons are combined to produce a high-octane gasoline component.

The light hydrocarbons consist of olefins such as propylene and butylene and isoparaffins such
as isobutane. These compounds are fed into a reactor, where, under the influence of a sulfuric-
acid or hydrofluoric-acid catalyst, they combine to form a mixture of heavier hydrocarbons. The
liquid fraction of this mixture, known as alkylate, consists mainly of isooctane, a compound that
lends excellent antiknock characteristics to gasolines.

The Alkylate product is a premium high-octane, environmentally friendly gasoline-blending

component, which will add to the pool of high-octane gasoline.

Octane rating or octane number is a standard measure of the performance of an engine or

aviation fuel. The higher the octane number, the more compression the fuel can withstand before
detonating (igniting). In broad terms, fuels with a higher octane rating are used in high
performance gasoline engines that require higher compression ratios. Use of gasoline with lower
octane numbers may lead to the problem of engine knocking.

In cascade type sulfuric acid (H2SO4) alkylation units, the feedstock (propylene, butylene, and
fresh isobutane) enters the reactor and contacts the concentrated sulfuric acid catalyst (in
concentrations of 85% to 95% for good operation and to minimize corrosion).

The reactor effluent is separated into hydrocarbon and acid phases in a settler, and the acid is
returned to the reactor. The hydrocarbon phase is hot-water washed with caustic for pH control
before being successively depropanized, deisobutanized, and debutanized. The alkylate obtained
from the deisobutanizer can then go directly to motor-fuel blending or be rerun to produce
aviation-grade blending stock. The isobutane is recycled to the feed.

Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC)

Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) is the cracking induced from the

combined influence of tensile stress and a corrosive environment.
The impact of SCC on a material usually falls between dry cracking
and the fatigue threshold of that material. The required tensile
stresses may be in the form of directly applied stresses or in the
form of residual stresses, see an example of SCC of an aircraft
component. The problem itself can be quite complex. The situation
with buried pipelines is a good example of such complexity. The
impact is most commonly catastrophic but rarely as it was for the
historical failure of the UK Flixborough chemical reactor in 1974.