Exxon Research and Engineering Company

Exxon Chemical Patents, Inc.

Wolfgang W Gschwendtner

Michael D Sexton

Richard J Hart

Anthony K Smith

Carlo Fava

Fuel oil treatment

Isobutylene containing a minor amount, e.g. 0.06-0.10 wt %, of n-butene-1 is subjected to gas phase isomerization using hydrogen and Group VIII metal catalyst to convert the butene-1 to butene-2 with at least 65% conversion and no more than 0.3% hydrogenation of the isobutylene; butene-2 is more readily separated from the isobutylene by distillation. Isomerization conditions applied are defined by a pressure of 3 to 5 bars gauge, a temperature of from 40.degree. to 50.degree. C., a space velocity of from 150 to 300 vol/vol/hour, a mass velocity of from 1.1 to 1.5 metric tons/m2/hour and a hydrogen/feed volume ratio of not more than 2.5%.

Growing community of inventors

Cologne, Germany

Wolfgang W Gschwendtner