example 6 removal of conjunct polymer from deactivated catalyst a by 1 butyl pyridinium chloride in a round bottom reaction flask equipped with stirring bar and drying tube cacl 2 drying tube 100 gm of anhydrous hexane were added to 20 gm of spent butylpyridinium chloroaluminate ionic liquid catalyst containing 16 wt 3 2 gm conjunct polymers five grams of butylpyridinium chloride was added to the 20 gm of spent catalyst already in 100 ml anhydrous hexane the reaction was stirred for 30 min and the hexane layer was decanted off the residue was rinsed with an additional 50 ml hexane the hexane layers were added and concentrated to give 1 2 gm of possible 3 2 gm of conjunct polymers an additional 3 gm of butylpyridinium chloride and 50 ml anhydrous hexane were added to the ionic liquid residue from the treatment of the first 5 gm of butylpyridinium chloride and the mixture was stirred for u02dc 15 20 minutes the reaction mixture turned into two phases one phase consisted of granulated brown solids and the hexane layer containing the remainder of the conjunct polymers the hexane layer was decanted off and the remaining solids were rinsed with additional 50 ml anhydrous hexane the hexane layers were combined and concentrated on a rotary evaporator to give additional 1 95 gm of conjunct polymers in addition to the 1 2 gm recovered from the first addition of butylpyridinium chloride thus a total of 3 15 gm or 98 4 of the conjunct polymers present in the spent catalyst were removed the above procedure was repeated with similar results using other spent catalysts with varying conjunct polymers contents the recovered conjunct polymers removed by the procedure.