New attractive technologies can be designed in the field of light olefins d
imerization (C-3-C-5) in order to obtain products useful as gasoline blendi
ng components; the technologies are characterized both by low investment co
sts and by high product quality. Isobutene dimerization is a powerful alter
native to MTBE production whenever the use of the latter will be forbidden
in gasoline. Also the dimerization of iso-amylenes and propylene, when prop
erly designed, can give products (both the olefins and the corresponding hy
drogenated derivatives) characterized by very high octane numbers. More in
general all these technologies can help to debottleneck the FCC downstream
when enhanced olefins production is achieved by means of new FCC catalysts
and processes. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.