Hydrogen production

Abstract

A process for the production of hydrogen, including contacting a light paraffinic hydrocarbon such as ethane, propane, n-butane, iso-butane, n-pentane, iso-pentane, etc., with a catalyst comprising an active metal selected from the group consisting of a Group VIII metal, such as platinum, rhodium, ruthenium, palladium, and nickel, and a Group VIB metal, such as chromium, molybdenum and tungsten, in an amount between about 0.5 and 15% by weight of the finished catalyst and a promoter selected from the group consisting of Group I, Group II, Rare Earth, and Group IVA metals of the Periodic System and mixtures thereof, in an amount between about 1 and 15% by weight based on the finished catalyst, both deposited on an inert oxide carrier; liquefying the effluent product, as by condensation or compression; flashing the dry gas portion containing hydrogen therefrom; if desired, further purifying the hydrogen by cryogenic, adsorption and diffusion methods, etc.; separating an unsaturated portion from a saturated portion of the remaining product, as by distillation, adsorption, solvent extraction, selective polymerization, selective aromatic alkylation, selective paraffin alkylation, etc., and recycling unreacted paraffins to the contacting step. The hydrogen recovered from the flashing step is also utilized for the hydrogenation of heavy unsaturated hydrocarbon materials, such as coal liquids, by contacting the heavy liquids with the hydrogen in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst, preferably of the same character as the hydrogen-producing catalyst, and under conditions sufficient to hydrogenate the heavy liquids.