The
upgrading of light naphtha (C5–C6 stream)
to gasoline blending components has been the subject of
intensive research at both academic and industrial laboratories. The
combination of high volatility and low-octane number has made this
stream surplus at many refineries worldwide. This review presents
the latest developments in selected catalytic upgrading processes
and a brief discussion on the reaction mechanism and reactor models.
A majority of the review falls within the development of catalysts
for n-hexane isomerization to hydrocarbon isomers
with a high octane number. There are three types of isomerization
catalysts that include Pt/Al2O3–Cl, Pt/SO4–ZrO2, and Pt/zeolite. Efforts are ongoing
to improve the catalyst performance for higher selectivity and catalyst
lifetime. Very little work has been published on the conversion of n-pentane mainly as a result of its low activity and the
limited options available for its transformation to gasoline blending
components. Other approaches discussed in the review include dimerization
and oligomerization of C5–C6 alkenes
and methylative homologation. The review covers literature published
during the period of 2000–2018.