Removing impurities from a heptane stream by contacting the heptane stream
with an acidic catalyst, wherein the contacting reduces a concentration
of one or more close boiling impurities, one or more olefins, or both.
The impurities are isomerized via contact with the acidic catalyst into
species that possess lower octane levels or that do not possess boiling
points as near to the boiling point of n-heptane, which promotes
separation of the impurities via distillation. Close boiling impurities
may include such compounds as cis-1,2-dimethylcyclopentane and
methylcyclohexane or may be compounds having boiling points at a standard
pressure of 760 Torr in the range of about 96.5 to about 100.5 degrees
Celsius including such compounds as cis-1,2-dimethylcyclopentane and
methylcyclohexane. The concentration of cis-1,2-dimethylcyclopentane and
methylcyclohexane may be reduced by at least about 25 and 10 percent by
weight, respectively. The concentration of olefins, as measured by the
Bromine Index, may be reduced by at least about 25 percent by weight.