Hydrogenation of aromatic compounds

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR CATALYTIC HYDROGENATION, THE STEPS OF CONTINUOUSLY PASSING HYDROGEN UPWARDLY THROUGH A LIQUID MASS ENCOMPASSING A BED OF HYDROGENATION CATALYST, SAID LIQUID MASS COMPRISING HYDROGENATABLE MATERIAL AND HAVING AN ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE BOILING POINT WITHIN THE EFFECTIVE HYDROGENATION TEMPERATURE RANGE OF THE CATALYST, MAINTAINING A CONTINUOUS ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE REFLUX OVER SAID LIQUID MASS WHEREBY THE TEMPERATUE OF THE LIQUID MASS IS MAINTAINED AT ITS ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE BOILING POINT, CONTINUOUSLY INTRODUCING MAKE-UP LIQUID TO SAID LIQUID MASS AND CONTINUOUSLY WITHDRAWING LIQUID THEREFROM, SAID MAKE-UP LIQUOR BEING ADDED AT A RATE TO MAINTAIN THE LIQUID LEVEL OF SAID LIQUID MASS ABOVE THE TOP OF SAID CATALYST BED, SEPARATING HYLDROGENATE FROM THE LIQUID WITHDRAWN FROM ABOVE THE CATALYST BED AND RETURNING THE REMAINDER TO SAID LIQUID MASS.