Exxon Research and Engineering Company

Gerald E Markley

William E Winter, Jr

Ramesh Gupta

Edward Stanley Ellis

Henry Jung

Carl W Hudson

James C Spry, Jr

Stephen Louie

George C Hadjiloizou

A three stage hydroprocessing process includes two liquid and one vapor reaction stages, both of which produce an effluent comprising liquid and vapor. Both vapor effluents comprise vaporized hydrocarbonaceous material. Fresh hydrogen is used for the hydroprocessing in both liquid stages. The second stage liquid effluent comprises the product liquid. The first stage liquid effluent is the feed for the second stage. The first stage vapor effluent is hydroprocessed in the vapor stage and then cooled to condense and recover at least a portion of the processed vapor as additional product liquid.

Liquid and vapor stage hydroprocessing using once-through hydrogen

A three stage hydroprocessing process includes two liquid and one vapor reaction stages, with a hydrogen containing vapor effluent produced in both liquid stages. The second liquid stage vapor effluent comprises part of the first liquid stage feed and the first liquid stage vapor effluent is the feed for the vapor stage. At least a portion of the hydrogen for the first liquid stage and vapor stage reactions is respectively provided by the hydrogen in the second and first liquid stage vapor effluents.

Three stage hydroprocessing including a vapor stage

A process for simultaneously removing heteroatoms, such as sulfur, from a virgin distillate stream and a light catalytic cyclic stream in two reaction zones in a hydrotreating process unit. One reaction zone will be a low temperature reaction zone and the other will be the high temperature zone. In the low temperature reaction zone, the cracked stream is reacted with a hydrotreating catalyst at a predetermined temperature and in high temperature reaction zone, the virgin distillate stream is reacted with a catalyst which is less reactive than that of the first reaction zone. When catalyst in the high reaction zone is replaced with fresh catalyst the temperature is lowered so that it now becomes the low temperature zone in which the cracked stream is redirected. Correspondingly, the virgin stream is redirected to the other reaction zone whose temperature is now raised and which becomes the high temperature zone and which now contains a catalyst less active than the low temperature reaction zone which now contains the fresher more active catalyst. This cyclic operation is repeated each time fresh catalyst is substituted for spent catalyst.

Cyclic process for hydrotreating petroleum feedstocks

An enhanced process to reduce the sulfur content in petroleum distillate products through fractionation of a feedstock followed by segregated hydrotreating. Improved performance and more controlled desulfurization is achieved.

Enhanced sulfur removal from fuels

Hydrotreating at relatively low pressure and elevated temperature followed by a selective distillation results in lighter fractions substantially free of sulfur and nitrogen. Over half of the total liquid product is suitable for sweet hydroprocessing over a noble metal catalyst.

Method of producing sweet feed in low pressure hydrotreaters

A process wherein in a hydrofining zone, a sulfur- or nitrogen-containing distillate feed, or feed containing both sulfur and nitrogen, is hydrofined at hydrofining conditions sufficient to convert the sulfur and nitrogen to hydrogen sulfide, and ammonia, respectively, the hydrogen sulfide and ammonia are separated from the hydrofined product, and the hydrofined product contacted in a subsequent zone with hydrogen, or a hydrogen-containing gas over a catalyst which contains elemental iron and one or more alkali- or alkaline-earth metals at reaction conditions sufficient to reduce or restore the color of the hydrofined product. Operation in this manner permits hydrofining of the feed at higher severities, for longer periods, than heretofore possible because the adverse quality of the product reaction mixture normally caused by deterioration of the hydrofiner product at such conditions is remediated by treatment of the hydrofined product over the iron catalyst.

Hydrofining process

A process for the hydrogenation of aromatic hydrocarbons contained in hydrocarbonaceous oil feed comprising at least about 15 wppm organic nitrogen compounds is provided in which the feed is contacted with hydrogen in a substantially sulfur-free environment in the presence of a catalyst comprising a Group VIII noble metal component, such as palladium, a Y-type crystalline aluminosilicate zeolite and a support such as alumina. When the hydrogenation activity of the catalyst decreases, the partially deactivated catalyst is stripped with hydrogen periodically to increase the hydrogenation activity of the catalyst.

Process for the hydrogenation of aromatic hydrocarbons

A process wherein, in a series of reforming zones, employing one or a series of reactors, each of which contains a bed, or beds of catalyst, the catalyst in the rearward most reforming zones is constituted of supported platinum and a relatively high concentration of rhenium, and the catalyst in the forward most reforming zone is constituted of platinum, or platinum and a relatively low concentration of a promoter metal, especially rhenium. In the rearward reaction zones, at least 40 percent, and preferably from 40 percent to about 90 percent, based on the total weight of catalyst in the reactor, or reactors of the unit, is constituted of a rhenium promoted platinum catalyst, the weight ratio of rhenium:plantinum of which at least about 1.5:1, a preferably 2:1, or greater. The beds of catalyst are contacted with a hydrocarbon or naphtha feed, and hydrogen, at reforming conditions to produce a hydrocarbon, or naphtha product of improved octane, and the product is withdrawn.

Catalytic reforming process

A process wherein, in a series of reforming zones, employing one or a series of reactors, each of which contains a bed, or beds of catalyst, the catalyst in the rearward most reforming zones is constituted of supported platinum and a relatively high concentration of rhenium, and the catalyst in the forward most reforming zone is constituted of platinum, or platinum and a relatively low concentration of a promoter metal, especially rhenium. In the rearward reaction zones, at least 40 percent, and preferably from 40 percent to about 90 percent, based on the total weight of catalyst in the reactor, or reactors of the unit, is constituted of a rhenium promoted platinum catalyst, the weight ratio of rhenium:platinum of which at least about 1.5:1, and preferably 2:1, or greater. The beds of catalyst are contacted at start-of-run temperatures ranging from about 875.degree. F. to about 935.degree. F. with a hydrocarbon or naphtha feed, and hydrogen, at reforming conditions to produce a hydrocarbon, or naphtha product of improved octane, and the product is withdrawn.

A process wherein, in a series of reforming zones, or reactors, each of which contains a bed, or beds of catalyst, the catalyst in the rearward most reforming zones is constituted of a high rhenium, platinum rhenium catalyst, viz., a catalyst comprising supported platinum and a relatively high concentration of rhenium relative to the platinum, and preferably the catalyst in the forwardmost reforming zone, or reactor of the series, is constituted of platinum, or platinum and a relatively low concentration of rhenium relative to the platinum. At least 30 percent, preferably from 40 percent to about 90 percent, of the rearward most reactors of the unit, or even 100 percent, based on the total weight of the catalyst in all of the reactors of the unit, contain a high rhenium, platinum rhenium catalyst, the weight ratio of rhenium:platinum being at least about 1.5:1. The beds of catalyst are contacted with a hydrocarbon or naphtha feed, and hydrogen, and the reaction continued for a period of at least 700 hours, preferably from about 700 hours to about 2750 hours, while conducting the reaction at temperatures ranging from about 850.degree. F. to about 950.degree. F. (E.I.T.), at pressures ranging from about 150 psig to about 350 psig, and at gas rates ranging from about 2500 SCF/B to about 4500 SCF/B.

A process for reforming, with hydrogen, a naphtha in a reforming reactor provided with a rhenium promoted platinum catalyst over which the naphtha is contacted and reacted at reforming conditions to produce a C.sub.5.sup.+ liquid product of improved octane. The catalyst is contacted, on initiation of the reforming reaction, with a maximum of about 75 percent of the rate of hydrogen required for maintaining the optimum C.sub.5.sup.+ liquid yield over the length of the operating cycle. The hydrogen rate is increased not later than the time of line-out of the C.sub.5.sup.+ liquid yield to that required to maintain said optimum C.sub.5.sup.+ liquid yield.

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Baton Rouge, LA, United States of America

Gerald E Markley