Provided is a process for safely transporting or recycling an ionic liquid catalyst based on chloroaluminates. The process comprises mixing a secondary alcohol with an ionic liquid based on a chloroaluminate and allowing a reaction to occur forming an aluminum chloride adduct precipitate. The precipitate is filtered and the secondary alcohol removed, leaving a solid salt. This solid salt is the ionic liquid catalyst absent aluminum chloride, for example, Nbutylpyridinium chloride. This salt is recycled to the reactor. AlCl3 is added to the salt prior to introduction into the reactor to remake the ionic liquid catalyst, for example, Nbutylpyridinium heptachloroaluminate.