The present invention discloses processes for oligomerizing a monomer containing C.sub.3 to C.sub.30 olefins using a chemically-treated solid oxide, such as fluorided silica-coated alumina and fluorided-chlorided silica-coated alumina.

The present invention discloses processes for oligomerizing a monomer containing C.sub.3 to C.sub.30 olefins using a chemically-treated solid oxide, such as fluorided silica-coated alumina and fluorided-chlorided silica-coated alumina.

The present disclosure provides methods to produce para-xylene, toluene, and other compounds from renewable sources (e.g., cellulose, hemicellulose) and ethylene in the presence of an acid, such as a Lewis acid. For example, cellulose and/or hemicellulose may be converted into 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF) and 2-methylfuran, which may be converted into para-xylene and toluene, respectively. In particular, para-xylene can then be oxidized to form terephthalic acid.

Oligomerization processes include the steps of introducing a monomer containing a C.sub.3 to C.sub.30 olefin and a chemically-treated solid oxide into a reaction zone, and oligomerizing the monomer to form an oligomer product in the reaction zone. Fluorided silica-coated alumina and fluorided-chlorided silica-coated alumina are illustrative chemically-treated solid oxides that can be used in the oligomerization processes.

The present invention discloses processes for alkylating an aromatic compound, such as benzene or toluene, using a chemically-treated solid oxide. Suitable chemically-treated solid oxides include fluorided silica-coated alumina and fluorided-chlorided silica-coated alumina.

Oligomerization processes include the steps of introducing a monomer containing a C.sub.3 to C.sub.30 olefin and a chemically-treated solid oxide into a reaction zone, and oligomerizing the monomer to form an oligomer product in the reaction zone. Fluorided silica-coated alumina and fluorided-chlorided silica-coated alumina are illustrative chemically-treated solid oxides that can be used in the oligomerization processes.

The present invention discloses processes for alkylating an aromatic compound, such as benzene or toluene, using a chemically-treated solid oxide. Suitable chemically-treated solid oxides include fluorided silica-coated alumina and fluorided-chlorided silica-coated alumina.

A process for isomerizing endo-hydrogenated dicyclopentadiene to form the corresponding exo-isomer using a stable, pumpable liquid aluminum halide catalyst which includes steps of providing a first solution containing a hydrogenated dicyclopentadiene compound that is dissolved in a hydrocarbon solvent, adding a cosolvent to the first solution to form a second solution, adding an aluminum halide to the second solution, and isomerizing the hydrogenated dicyclopentadiene compound in the presence of dissolved aluminum halide which acts as a catalyst to produce the corresponding exo-isomer.

The present invention relates to a process for preparing alkylate comprising the subsequent steps (a), (b) and (c): (a) an alkylation step, wherein in a reaction zone a hydrocarbon mixture comprising at least an isoparaffin and an olefin is reacted with an ionic liquid catalyst to obtain an effluent comprising alkylate and solids, which latter are formed as side products in the alkylation step; (b) a separation step, wherein at least part of the alkylate-comprising effluent coming from the reaction zone is separated in a separator unit into a hydrocarbon-rich phase and an ionic liquid catalyst-rich phase which latter phase also comprises solids formed as side products during the alkylation reaction; and (c) a solids removal step, wherein the solids in ionic liquid catalyst-rich phase are separated from the ionic liquid catalyst using a suitable separating device; wherein the process further comprises a step following the separation step (b) and prior to the solids removal step (c).

The present disclosure provides means to produce glycolaldehyde dialkyl acetal in high yield. One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method for producing glycolaldehyde dialkyl acetal including a glycolaldehyde formation step of converting paraformaldehyde to glycolaldehyde in an ether type solvent in a presence of an N-heterocyclic carbene catalyst, and an acetalization step of treating the glycolaldehyde with an alcohol solution of hydrogen chloride to obtain the glycolaldehyde dialkyl acetal. The N-heterocyclic carbene catalyst is a compound represented by a formula (I) or (II) [in the formulae, R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4, R.sup.5, R.sup.6, R.sup.7, and R.sup.8, and A.sup. have meanings described in description and the appended claims], and the glycolaldehyde formation step and the acetalization step are performed in a single container.

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