Regenerative aluminum chloride process

Claim 1

PROCESS FOR THE TREATMENT OF PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS WITH ALUMINUM CHLORIDE WHICH COMPRISES INTRODUCING A FEED STREAM AT AN INTERMEDIATE POINT IN A REACTION ZONE, INTRODUCING ALUMINUM CHLORIDE OF SUFFICIENT STRENGTH TO CATALYZE THE REACTION SUPPORTED ON A SOLID CARRIER AT A POINT INTERMEDIATE THE TOP AND AT THE POINT OF INTRODUCTION OF THE FEED OIL IN THE REACTION ZONE AND COUNTERCURRENTLY CONTRACTING THE SAME UNDER TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE CONDITIONS ADAPTED TO SECURE THE DESIRED CONVERSION OF THE FEED STREAM, INTRODUCING A SOLID CARRIER FREE OF ALUMINUM CHLORIDE AT THE TOP OF SAID REACTION ZONE WHEREBY SAID CARRIER COUNTERCURRENTLY CONTACTS PRODUCT GASES AND REMOVES ALUMINUM CHLORIDE FROM SAID PRODUCT GASES, WITHDRAWING PRODUCT GASES OVERHEAD FROM THE TOP OF SAID REACTION ZONE AND PASSING THE SAME TO A DISTILLATION ZONE WHEREIN A LIQUID PRODUCT IS SEGREGATED AND A GASEOUS PRODUCT SEGREGATED, AS WELL AS, A HEAVY PRODUCT, RECYCLING SAID HEAVY PRODUCT TO SAID REACTION ZONE AT A POINT INTERMEDIATE THE POINT OF INTRODUCTION OF SAID FEED OIL AND THE BOTTOM OF SAID REACTION ZONE WITHDRAWING AN ALUMINUM CHLORIDE-HYDROCARBON SLUDGE AND CARRIER FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID REACTION ZONE AND PASSING THE SAME TO A COKING ZONE, REMOVING OVERHEAD FROM SAID COKING ZONE VAPOROUS ALUMINUM CHLORIDE AND HYDROCARBONS, CONDENSING THE SAME WHEREBY AN ALUMINUM CHLORIDE PHASE AND A HYDROCARBON PHASE FORM, INTRODUCING THE HYDROCARBON PHASE INTO A CONTACTING ZONE WHEREIN THE SAME CONTACTS A SOLID CARRIER, WHEREBY ALUMINUM CHLORIDE IS REMOVED FROM SAID HYDROCARBON PHASE, WITHDRAWING THE SOLID CARRIER FROM SAID CONTACTING ZONE AND COMBINING IT WITH SAID LIQUID ALUMINUM CHLORIDE AND PASSING THE SAME TO SAID POINT INTERMEDIATE THE TOP OF SAID REACTION ZONE AND THE POINT OF INTRODUCTION OF THE FEED OIL.