Distillate upgrading process

Abstract

This invention is a process for the upgrading of distillate feeds. A batch of supported hydroprocessing catalyst is placed in a reaction zone, which is usually a fixed bed reactor. The hydroprocessing catalyst comprises an effective amount of a noble metal or metals and has a specific activity. Both low aromatic diesel and jet fuel may be produced in separate blocks over the same catalyst batch, using different feeds and often different conditions. The activity of the catalyst is restored each time the feed is switched. When production is switched from jet fuel to low aromatics diesel, activity may be regained more quickly by holding the catalyst at a higher temperature than the reaction temperature for a specific period of time prior to dropping the temperature to the reaction temperature. Switching from one feed to the other may continue for about one year before the catalyst batch is changed. A dual catalyst system may alternatively be employed. In this case a hydroprocessing catalyst batch comprising an effective amount of at least one base metal is used in combination with the catalyst comprising an effective amount of at least one noble metal catalyst. The feed contacts the catalyst comprising the base metal before it contacts the catalyst comprising a noble metal. In a dual catalyst system, the feeds may be switched for about two years over the two catalyst batches before fresh catalyst is necessary.