Hydrocarbon conversion with vanadia- and/or molybdenacontaining catalysts

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE CATALYTIC CONVERSION OF HYDROCARBON MATERIAL, WHICH COMPRISES PASSING SAID HYDROCARBON MATERIAL OVER A CATALYST CONTAINING AN OXIDE OF A METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF VANDAIUM AND MOLYBDENUM MAINTAINED AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 1050 TO ABOUT 1250* F. UNTIL THE CATALYST IS DEACTIVATED BY DEPOSITION OF CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL ON THE SURFACE THEREOF; DISCONTINUING PASSING SAID HYDROCARBON MATERIAL OVER SAID CATALYST, MAINTAINING A REDUCING ATMOSPHERE IN CONTACT WITH SAID CATALYST WHILE LOWERING THE TEMPERATURE TO A RANGE OF 700 TO 1025* F.; THEN BURNING OFF SAID CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL WITH AN OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS WHILE MAINTAINING THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID CATALYST IN SAID LAST-NAMED RANGE; REHEATING THE REACTIVATED CATALYST IN A REDUCING ATMOSPHERE TO A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 1050 TO ABOUT 1250* F. AND RESUMING SAID CATALYTIC CONVERSION PROCESS.