Image Number 2 for United States Patent #5530173.
A process for isomerizing a mixture of alkanes containing pentanes and at least one alkane having from 6 to about 8 carbon atoms and no more than one methyl branch has been developed. The process includes: 1) separating the mixture in a first separation zone to produce two streams, a stream enriched in alkanes having from 6 to about 8 carbon atoms and a stream enriched in pentanes; 2) separating the stream enriched in pentanes in a second separation zone to produce two streams, a stream predominately comprising n-pentane and a stream predominately comprising branched pentanes; 3) passing the stream enriched in alkanes having from 6 to about 8 carbon atoms and the stream enriched in n-pentane to an isomerization zone of a simulated moving bed to produce two streams, a stream containing branched pentanes, n-pentane, and multi-methyl-branched alkanes having from 6 to about 8 carbon atoms, and a stream containing branched pentanes and n-pentane; 4) separating the stream containing branched pentanes, n-pentane, and multi-methyl-branched alkanes having from 6 to about 8 carbon atoms in a third separation zone to produce two streams, a stream enriched in multi-methyl-branched alkanes having from 6 to about 8 carbon atoms and a stream enriched in branched pentanes and n-pentane; and 5) collecting the stream predominately comprising branched pentanes from the second separation zone and the stream enriched in multi-methyl-branched alkanes having from 6 to about 8 carbon atoms from the third separation zone.
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