Process of catalytic desulfurization of naphthenic petroleum hydrocarbons followed by catalytic cracking

Claim 1

IN A CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF CATALYTICALLY CRACKED PRODUCTS OF LOW SULPHUR CONTENT FROM A SULPHUR-AND-NAPHTHENE-CONTAINING FEEDSTOCK BOILING ABOVE THE GASOLINE RANGE WHEREIN THE FEEDSTOCK IS FIRST CONTACTED IN VAPOR FORM IN A REACTION ZONE AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE IN THE PRESENCE OF HYDROGEN WITH A DEHYDROGENATION-HYDROGENATION CATALYST WHICH IS IMMUNE TO SULPHUR POISONING AND COMBINES ACTIVITY FOR THE DEHYDROGENATION OF NAPHTHENES IN SAID FEEDSTOCK TO AROMATICS WITH ACTIVITY FOR THE HYDROGENATION OF ORGANICALLY COMBINED SULPHUR IN THE FEEDSTOCK TO HYDROGEN SULPHIDE, THE METHOD OF OPERATING THE PROCESS SO THAT IT WILL BE SELF-SUPPORTING WITH RESPECT TO THE AMOUNT OF HYDROGEN NEEDED AND PRODUCE A DESULPHURIZED FEEDSTOCK FOR PASSAGE TO THE CATALYTIC CRACKING ZONE, SAID DESULPHURIZED FEEDSTOCK HAVING, EXCEPT FOR LOWERED SULPHUR CONTENT, PROPERTIES AND BOILING RANGE SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME AS THE FEEDSTOCK, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PASSING THE FEEDSTOCK TO BE TREATED THROUGH SAID REACTION ZONE AT A SPACE VELOCITY NOT IN EXCESS OF 10 V/V/HR. AND CONTACTING THE FEEDSTOCK THEREIN WITH SAID CATALYST AND WITH HYDROGEN DERIVED SOLELY FROM THE FEEDSTOCK, MAINTAINING A SELECTED TEMPERATURE IN SAID ZONE BETWEEN ABOUT 650* F. TO ABOUT 800* F. AT WHICH HYDROGEN IS CONTINUOUSLY PRODUCED FROM SAID FEEDSTOCK, MAINTAIN-