Process for pre-treating reformer feed stocks with hydrogen

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE PURIFICATION OF HYDROCARBON DISTILLATE BOILING PREDOMINANTLY IN THE GASOLINE RANGE AND CONTAINING SULFUR AND NITROGEN CONTAMINANTS, WHICH COMPRISES CONTACTING SAID DISTILLATE WITH A HYDROGENATION CATALYST IN THE PRESENCE OF HYDROGEN AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM 450* TO ABOUT 900* F., FLASHING THE RESULTANT PRODUCTS AND SEPARATING THE SAME INTO A GASEOUS PHASE COMPRISING HYDROGEN SULFIDE, AMMONIA, HYDROGEN AND LIGHT HYDROCARBONS AND A LIQUID PHASE OF GASOLINE BOILING HYDROCARBONS AND HEAVY ENDS, INTRODUCING SAID GASEOUS PHASE INTO THE UPPER PORTION OF A FRACTIONATING ZONE HAVING A CONDENSATE COLLECTING TRAY IN A LOWER INTERMEDIATE PORTION THEREOF, CONTACTING THE GASEOUS PHASE WITH REFLUXING LIQUID IN THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID ZONE, INTRODUCING SAID LIQUID PHASE TO THE FRACTIONATING ZONE BELOW SAID COLLECTING TRAY AND VAPORIZING GASOLINE BOILING HYDROCARBONS THEREFROM IN THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID ZONE BELOW THE TRAY, CONDENSING THE VAPORS IN SAID UPPER PORTION OF THE FRACTIONATING ZONE AND COLLECTING RESULTANT GASOLINE CONDENSATE ON SAID TRAY, REMOVING SAID CONDENSATE FROM THE TRAY AND FROM THE INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF THE FRACTIONATING ZONE, AND REMOVING THE UNVAPORIZED HEAVY ENDS OF THE LIQUID PHASE FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID ZONE.