A process for treating an alkylation feedstock comprising olefins, n-alkanes, and iso-alkanes, the process including: contacting at least a portion of the alkylation feedstock with sulfuric acid in a reaction zone under conditions to form sulfate esters of the olefins; separating the n-alkanes and the iso-alkanes from the sulfuric acid and the sulfate esters; recovering the n-alkanes and the iso-alkanes in a first product stream; and recovering the sulfate esters in a second product stream; wherein the sulfuric acid has a strength titrating as below 75 weight percent H2SO4/water mixtures.