Cracking and isomerization reactions

Cracking and isomerization reactions occur readily in acidic chloroaluminate(iii) ionic liquids. A remarkable example of this is the reaction of polyethylene, which is converted to a mixture of gaseous alkanes with the formula (C H2n+2, where 

2 Stoichiometric Organic Reactions and Acid-catalyzed Reactions in Ionic Liquids I 313 

Ionic liquid Reaction Molar ratio IL Ar-H % Conversion % Selectivity 

in Advances in Molten Salt Chemistry, Vol. 6 (G. Mamantov, 

Rooney, K. R. Seddon, in The Handbook of Solvents (G. Wypych ecL), ChemTech Publishing, New York, 2001,1459-1484. 

Advanced Organic Chemistry, 4 ed., Wiley, Chichester, 1992. 

Fieser, L. Fieser, Reagents for Organic Synthesis, Vol. 1, Wiley-Inter-science, New York, 1967, 936, and references therein. 

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Some other processes are based on a severe hydrotreatment followed by a stage for octane recovery. Octgain from ExxonMobil [57] and ISAL from UOP-Intevep [58], Deep desulfurization is achieved by an increase in severity, causing lost in octane by olefins saturation. In the first case, in a second reactor octane number is recovered by a combination of cracking and isomerization reactions. In the latter case, the catalyst employed during desulfurization possess isomerization capabilities inhibiting an excessive octane lost. Other mentioned functionalities of the catalyst include dealkylation and conversion. 

Clays are the most universal of all the minerals occurring at the surface of the earth and consequently allow both cheap and environmentally friendly organic chemistry [56, 58]. Natural clays were among the earliest solid acid catdysts used to promote cracking and isomerization reactions in the oil industry [59]. 

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