Catalytic desulphurisation of petroleum hydrocarbons

Claim 1

A VAPOR PHASE PROCESS FOR THE HYDROCATALYTIC DESULPHURISATION OF A CRACKED NAPHTHA BOILING IN THE GASOLINE RANGE, WHICH COMPRISES PASSING SAID NAPHTHA TO A REACTION ZONE IN ADMIXTURE SOLELY WITH A PETROLEUM FRACTION WHICH CONTAINS NAPHTHENIC CONSTITUENTS CAPABLE OF PROVIDING HYDROGEN BY DEHYDROGENATION AND WHICH HAS A BOILING RANGE SUFFICIENTLY ABOVE THE CRACKED NAPHTHA SUCH THAT THE NAPHTHA MAY BE REMOVED BY DISTILLATION FROM THE TREATED MIXTURE IN THE VAPOR PHASE, SAID PETROLEUM FRACTION SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF KEROSENE AND HEAVY NAPHTHA HAVING A BOILING POINT ABOVE 200* C., WHEREIN THE MIXTURE IS CONTACTED WITH HYDROGEN DERIVED SOLELY FROM THE MIXTURE AND WITH A SULPHUR-RESISTANT DEHYDROGENATION-HYDROGENATION CATALYST AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 750* -800* F. AND AT A PRESSURE OF 50-200 P.S.I. GA., SAID TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE CORRELATED WITH ONE ANOTHER, SUCH THAT AN AMOUNT OF HYDROGEN IS OBTAINED BY DEHYDROGENATION OF SAID NAPHTHENIC CONSTITUENTS NOT SUBSTANTIALLY IN EXCESS OF THAT REQUIRED TO CONVERT ORGANICALLYCOMBINED SULPHUR CONTAINED IN THE CRACKED NAPHTHA AND IN THE PETROLEUM FRACTION IN ADMIXTURE THEREWITH INTO HYDROGEN SULPHIDE AND TO MAINTAIN THE NECESSARY PARTIAL