Mobil Oil Corporation

Paul J Oswald

Mohsen N Harandi

Chwan P Kyan

The instant invention discloses a process of upgrading a waxy hydrocarbon feed mixture containing sulfur compounds which boils in the distillate range, in order to reduce sulfur content and 85% point while preserving the high octane of naphtha by-products and maximizing distillate yield. The process employs a single, downflow reactor having at least two catalyst beds and an inter-bed redistributor between the beds. The top bed contains a hydrocracking catalyst, preferably zeolite beta, and the bottom bed contains a dewaxing catalyst, preferably ZSM-5. A desulfurization catalyst may be added to either bed depending on sulfur distribution in the feed. The feed is separated into a lighter, lower boiling stream and a heavier, higher boiling stream. The effluent of the top bed cascades without interbed separation to the inter-bed redistributor, where it is recombined with the lighter stream. The recombined stream then enters the bottom bed for dewaxing. The product comprises a distillate having an increased yield and a naphtha having an increased research octane number, as compared with a feedstock in which the entire stream was hydrocracked.

Hydrocarbon upgrading process

A process is disclosed for integrating isoalkane dehydrogenation with isoalkene/alkanol etherification in a manner that eliminates the need to condense the isoalkene and/or isoalkane components of the dehydrogenation process in order to produce alkyl tertiary alkyl ethers. The novel process integration permits recycling of unreacted isoalkene and/or isoalkane components of the integrated dehydrogenation and etherification process back to the dehydrogenation reactor with revaporization. It has been determined that isoalkane dehydrogenation can be integrated with vapor phase etherification by pressuring the dehydrogenation effluent and passing compressed isoalkene to the vapor phase etherification zone. Following etherification and separation of the etherification effluent, unreacted isoalkene and isoalkane vapor components of the etherification effluent are recycled to the dehydrogenation zone. Optionally, unreacted isoalkene is oligomerized in contact with medium pore shape selective zeolite catalyst.

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Voorhees, NJ, United States of America

Paul J Oswald