The present disclosure relates to methods for selectively hydrogenating acetylene, to methods for starting up a selective hydrogenation reactor, and to hydrogenation catalysts useful in such methods. In one aspect, the disclosure provides a method for selectively hydrogenating acetylene, the method comprising contacting a catalyst composition with a process gas. The catalyst composition comprises a porous support, palladium, and one or more ionic liquids. The process gas includes ethylene, present in the process gas in an amount of at least 20 mol. %; and acetylene, present in the process gas in an amount of at least 1 ppm. At least 90% of the acetylene present in the process gas is hydrogenated, and the selective hydrogenation is conducted without thermal runaway. Notably, the process gas is contacted with the catalyst at a gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) based on total catalyst volume in one bed or multiple beds of at least 7,100 h.sup.−1.

An ionic liquid catalyst and a method for manufacturing the same are provided. The ionic liquid catalyst includes a carrier. The carrier contains nickel ferrite as a component, and an outer surface of the carrier is modified to have a decolorant and a degradation agent. The decolorant is grafted onto nickel atoms of the carrier, and the degradation agent is grafted onto iron atoms of the carrier. The method includes: providing the carrier that contains nickel ferrite as a component; and modifying the carrier, so that the nickel atoms of the carrier are grafted with the decolorant and the iron atoms of the carrier are grafted with the degradation agent. Accordingly, the ionic liquid catalyst is obtained.

A process for producing high octane bio-based alkylate is provided. The process involves reacting isobutane and bio-ethylene using an ionic liquid catalyst. Reaction conditions can be chosen to assist in attaining, or to optimize, desirable alkylate yields and/or properties.

An alkylation process is described. The process involves alkylation of isobutane and ethylene in a loop reactor using an ionic liquid catalyst as a continuous phase. The alkylate typically has a research octane number of at least about 93, and the olefin conversion is typically at least about 95%.

The present disclosure provides a macroporous noble metal catalyst and processes employing such catalysts for the regeneration of deactivated ionic liquid catalyst containing conjunct polymer.

The present invention concerns a catalyst system in particular a catalyst system comprising Palladium (Pd), a zwitterion and/or an acid-functionalized ionic liquid, and one or more phosphine ligands, wherein the Pd catalyst can be provided by a complex precursor, such as Pd(CH.sub.3COO).sub.2, PdCl.sub.2, Pd(CH.sub.3COCHCOCH.sub.3), Pd(CF.sub.3COO).sub.2, Pd(PPh.sub.3).sub.4 or Pd.sub.2(dibenzylideneacetone).sub.3. Such catalyst systems can be used for e.g. alkoxycarbonylation reactions, carboxylation reactions, and/or in a co-polymerization reaction, e.g. in the production of methyl propionate and/or propanoic acid, optionally in processes forming methyl methacrylate and/or methacrylic acid. Catalyst systems according to the invention are suitable for reactions forming separable product and catalyst phases and supported ionic liquid phase SILP applications.

Processes for the direct alkylation of ethylene with isobutane or isopentane using a highly active ionic liquid alkylation catalyst are described. Ethylene is sent to a high-temperature alkylation reactor loop, and C.sub.3, C.sub.4, and C.sub.5 olefins are routed to a low temperature alkylation reactor loop. In each reactor, the olefins are contacted with an excess of isobutane or isopentane in the presence of a highly active ionic liquid catalyst. Portions of the reactor effluent streams are fed to a common downstream catalyst separation and product fractionation sections. The remainder of the reactor effluent is recycled back to the respective alkylation reactor.

A catalyst system useful in the production of bisphenol-A comprises (a) an acidic heterogeneous catalyst; (b) a first catalyst promoter comprising at least one organic sulfur-containing compound; and (c) a second catalyst promoter different from the first catalyst promoter and comprising at least one organic Brønsted acidic ionic compound.

Processes for separating conjunct polymer from an organic phase are described. A mixture comprising an ionic liquid phase and the organic phase into the ionic phase and an organic phase comprising the conjunct polymer and at least one silyl or boryl compound. The organic phase is separated in a fractionation column into an overhead fraction comprising unreacted silane or borane compound and a bottoms fraction comprising the conjunct polymer and the silyl or boryl compound. The bottoms fraction is passed through an adsorption zone, and the silyl or boryl compound is recovered. Alternatively, the organic phase is passed through an adsorption zone first to remove the conjunct polymer and then a fractionation zone to separate the unreacted silane or borane compound from the silyl or boryl compound.

We provide a process for regenerating a spent acidic ionic liquid, comprising contacting the spent acidic ionic liquid with hydrogen and without an addition of a hydrogenation catalyst; wherein a conjunct polymer content is decreased in the spent acidic ionic liquid to produce regenerated acidic ionic liquid. We also provide a process for making an alkylate gasoline blending component, comprising: a) alkylating a mixture of isoparaffins and olefins using an acidic ionic liquid and an alkyl halide or a hydrogen halide, wherein a conjunct polymer accumulates in a spent acidic ionic liquid; and b) feeding the spent acidic ionic liquid and a hydrogen, and without an addition of a hydrogenation catalyst, to a regeneration reactor operated under selected hydrogenation conditions to produce a regenerated acidic ionic liquid that is used for the alkylating, wherein the conjunct polymer in the regenerated acidic ionic liquid is decreased by at least 50 wt %.