Manufacture of mercaptans

Claim 1

AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF STABLE ALIPHATIC MERCAPTANS OF HIGH MOLECULAR WEIGHT WHICH COMPRISES SUBJECTING AN OLEFINIC HYDROCARBON MATERIAL BOILING IN THE RANGE OF 320* F. TO 400* F. AND COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF ISOMERIC OLEFINS AND OXYGEN-CONTAINING COMPOUNDS TO THE ACTION OF A SOLID ADSORBENT MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SILICA GEL, ACTIVATED CHARCOAL AND ACTIVATED CLAY AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM ZERO TO 150* F. WHEREBY SAID OXYGEN-CONTAINING COMPOUNDS ARE REMOVED FROM SAID OLEFINIC HYDROCARBON MATERIAL, REACTING A RESULTING TREATED OLEFINIC HYDROCARBON MATERIAL, DIRECTLY AND BEFORE ANY FURTHER SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF OXYGEN-CONTAINING COMPOUNDS CAN FORM IN SAID HYDROCARBON MATERIAL, WITH HYDROGEN SULFIDE IN THE PRESENCE OF A MERCAPTAN-SYNTHESIS CATALYST AND IN AMOUNTS TO GIVE A MOL RATIO OF HYDROGEN SULFIDE TO OLEFIN BETWEEN ABOUT 1.5:1 TO 2:1 AT A PRESSURE OF ABOUT 500 TO 1500 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH, A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 100 TO 400* F. AND A FLOW RATE SUCH AS TO EFFECT A HIGH PER PASS CONVERSION OF SAID ISOMERIC OLEFINS CONTAINED IN SAID OLEFINIC HYDROCARBON MATERIAL TO STABLE ALIPHATIC MERCAPTANS HAVING THE SAME NUMBER OF CARBON ATOMS PER MOLECULE AS SAID ISOMERIC OLEFINS, AND RECOVERING SAID MERCAPTANS AS A PRODUCT OF THE PROCESS.