Catalytic desulfurization of petroleum hydrocarbons

Claim 1

A CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR THE HYDROCATALYTIC DESULPHURIZATION OF PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS, WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF: PASSING A NAPHTHENE-CONTAINING FEEDSTOCK SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF CRUDE OIL, AND MIXTURES OF CRUDE OIL DISTILLATES AND RESIDUES TO A PRIMARYDISTILLATION COLUMN; RECOVERING AS AN OVERHEAD PRODUCT OF SAID COLUMN A VAPOR MIXTURE OF NORMALLY GASEOUS AND NORMALLY LIQUID COMPONENTS INCLUDING A CONTENT OF HYDROGEN-DONATING NAPHTHENES RECOVERED IN A LATER STEP OF THE PROCESS AND RECYCLED TO SAID COLUMN; PASSING SAID OVERHEAD PRODUCT TO AN AUTOFINING ZONE WHEREIN SAID OVERHEAD PRODUCT IS CONTACTED WITH A SULPHURRESISTANT HYDROGENATION-DEHYDROGENATION CATALYST AT A SELECTED TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE 650-800* F. AND AT A SELECTED PRESSURE WITHIN THE RANGE 25-500 LB./SQ. IN., WHEREBY AN AMOUNT OF HYDROGEN IS PRODUCED BY DEHYDROGENATION OF NAPHTHENES CONTAINED IN SAID OVERHEAD PRODUCT NOT SUBSTANTIALLY IN EXCESS OF THAT REQUIRED TO CONVERT ORGANICALLY COMBINED SULPHUR CONTAINED IN SAID OVERHEAD PRODUCT INTO HYDROGEN SULPHIDE AND TO MAINTAIN SAID PRESSURE IN SAID AUTOFINING ZONE; SEPARATING THE PRODUCTS FROM SAID AUTOFINING ZONE INTO A GASEOUS FRACTION COMPRISING HYDROGEN AND HYDROGEN SULPHIDE, AND AT LEAST ONE NORMALLY LIQUID DESULPHURIZED FRACTION; CONTROLLING THE DEGREE OF VAPORIZATION ACHIEVED IN SAID DISTILLATION COLUMN AND THEREBY THE BOILING RANGE OF SAID OVERHEAD PRODUCT AND SIMULTANEOUSLY CORRECTING ANY DEFICIENCY IN THE CONTENT OF HYDROGEN-GENERATING NAPHTHENES IN SAID FEEDSTOCK, BY RECYCLING A PROPORTION OF SAID GASEOUS FRACTION TO THE BASE OF SAID DISTILLATION COLUMN AND RECYCLING A PROPORTION OF SAID DESULPHURIZED FRATCION TO SAID DISTILLATION COLUMN, THE PROPORTION OF EACH DEPENDING UPON THE DESIRED BOILING RANGE OF SAID OVERHEAD PRODUCT AND THE NAPHTHENE DEFICIENCY IN SAID FEEDSTOCK; AND, RECOVERING SAID DESULPHURIZED FRACTION AS A DESIRED PRODUCT.