Catalytic conversion with hydrofluoric acid

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF CONVERTING A HYDROCARBON WHICH IS HIGHER BOILING THAN GASOLINE INTO LOWER BOILING HYDROCARBONS AT LEAST SOME OF WHICH ARE UNSATURATED, WHICH METHOD COMPRISES INTRODUCING HYDROCARBONS HIGHER BOILING THAN GASOLINE AT A HIGH LEVEL IN A COUNTERCURRENT CONTACTING ZONE AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 200* TO 400* F., INTRODUCING AT A LOW LEVEL IN THE CONTACTING ZONE A STREAM OF HYDROGEN FLUORIDE VAPORS HEATED TO A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF 300* TO 500* F. WHICH IS HIGHER THAN THE TEMPERATURE AT WHICH HYDROCARBONS ARE INTRODUCED, COUNTERCURRENTLY CONTACTING SAID HYDROGEN FLUORIDE VAPORS AND HYDROCARBONS IN SAID CONTACTING ZONE UNDER A PRESSURE IN THE RANGE OF 200 TO 1200 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH WHICH IS SUFFICIENTLY HIGH TO MAINTAIN HYDROCARBON HIGHER BOILING THAN GASOLINE IN LIQUID PHASE AND SUFFICIENTLY LOW TO EFFECT CONDENSATION OF ONLY A PART OF THE HYDROGEN FLUORIDE VAPORS AND TO PERMIT VAPORIZATION OF REACTION PRODUCTS LOWER BOILING THAN GASOLINE, WHEREBY A PORTION OF THE INTRODUCED HYDROGEN FLUORIDE VAPORS ARE CONDENSED IN LIQUID PHASE HYDROCARBONS AND CONTACTED THEREWITH UNDER CONDITIONS TO EFFECT CATALYTIC CRACKING THEREOF WITH A CATALYST CONSISTING OF LIQUID HYDROGEN FLUORIDE INTO LOW BOILING PRODUCTS WHICH ARE IMMEDIATELY VAPORIZED AND CARRIED UPWARDLY IN UNCONDENSED HYDROGEN FLUORIDE VAPORS WITHOUT UNDERGOING THE FURTHER CONVERSION WHICH WOULD TAKE PLACE IF SAID PRODUCTS REMAIN IN CONTACT WITH LIQUID HYDROGEN FLUORIDE UNDER THE DEFINED CONDITIONS, INTRODUCING THE HEATED HYDROGEN FLUORIDE VAPORS AT SUCH A RATE AS TO CARY THE LOW BOILING CONVERSION PRODUCTS WITH UNCONDENSED HYDROGEN FLUORIDE VAPORS UPWARDLY OUT OF THE TOP OF THE CONTACTING ZONE, REMOVING FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE CONTACTING ZONE HYDROCARBONS WHICH ARE HIGHER BOILING THAN THOSE INTRODUCED INTO THE CONTACTING ZONE AND SEPARATELY REMOVING HYDROGEN FLUORIDE FROM THE LOW BOILING PRODUCTS WITHDRAWIN FROM THE TOP OF THE CONTACTING ZONE AND FROM THE HIGH BOILING PRODUCTS WITHDRAWN FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE CONTACTING ZONE, RESPECTIVELY.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF CONVERTING A HYDROCARBON WHICH IS HIGHER BOILING THAN GASOLINE INTO LOWER BOILING HYDROCARBONS AT LEAST SOME OF WHICH ARE UNSATURATED, WHICH METHOD COMPRISES INTRODUCING HYDROCARBONS HIGHER BOILING THAN GASOLINE AT A HIGH LEVEL IN A COUNTERCURRENT CONTACTING ZONE AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 200* TO 400* F., INTRODUCING AT A LOW LEVEL IN THE CONTACTING ZONE A STREAM OF HYDROGEN FLUORIDE VAPORS HEATED TO A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF 300* TO 500* F. WHICH IS HIGHER THAN THE TEMPERATURE AT WHICH HYDROCARBONS ARE INTRODUCED, COUNTERCURRENTLY CONTACTING SAID HYDROGEN FLUORIDE VAPORS AND HYDROCARBONS IN SAID CONTACTING ZONE UNDER A PRESSURE IN THE RANGE OF 200 TO 1200 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH WHICH IS SUFFICIENTLY HIGH TO MAINTAIN HYDROCARBON HIGHER BOILING THAN GASOLINE IN LIQUID PHASE AND SUFFICIENTLY LOW TO EFFECT CONDENSATION OF ONLY A PART OF THE HYDROGEN FLUORIDE VAPORS AND TO PERMIT VAPORIZATION OF REACTION PRODUCTS LOWER BOILING THAN GASOLINE, WHEREBY A PORTION OF THE INTRODUCED HYDROGEN FLUORIDE VAPORS ARE CONDENSED IN LIQUID PHASE HYDROCARBONS AND CONTACTED THEREWITH UNDER CONDITIONS TO EFFECT CATALYTIC CRACKING THEREOF WITH A CATALYST CONSISTING OF LIQUID HYDROGEN FLUORIDE INTO LOW BOILING PRODUCTS WHICH ARE IMMEDIATELY VAPORIZED AND CARRIED UPWARDLY IN UNCONDENSED HYDROGEN FLUORIDE VAPORS WITHOUT UNDERGOING THE FURTHER CONVERSION WHICH WOULD TAKE PLACE IF SAID PRODUCTS REMAIN IN CONTACT WITH LIQUID HYDROGEN FLUORIDE UNDER THE DEFINED CONDITIONS, INTRODUCING THE HEATED HYDROGEN FLUORIDE VAPORS AT SUCH A RATE AS TO CARY THE LOW BOILING CONVERSION PRODUCTS WITH UNCONDENSED HYDROGEN FLUORIDE VAPORS UPWARDLY OUT OF THE TOP OF THE CONTACTING ZONE, REMOVING FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE CONTACTING ZONE HYDROCARBONS WHICH ARE HIGHER BOILING THAN THOSE INTRODUCED INTO THE CONTACTING ZONE AND SEPARATELY REMOVING HYDROGEN FLUORIDE FROM THE LOW BOILING PRODUCTS WITHDRAWIN FROM THE TOP OF THE CONTACTING ZONE AND FROM THE HIGH BOILING PRODUCTS WITHDRAWN FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE CONTACTING ZONE, RESPECTIVELY.