Conversion of asphaltic hydrocarbons

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING LOWER BOILING HYDROCARBON PRODUCTS WHICH COMPRISES FORMING A MIXTURE OF AN ASPHALTIC HYDROCARBON AND AN AMOUNT OF A DILUENT CONTAINING A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF A CYCLIC AROMATIC AND NAPHTHENIC HYDROCARBONS IN THE RANGE OF FROM ABOUT 0.5 TO 3 PARTS OF DILUENT HYDROCARBON PER PART OF ASPHALTIC HYDROCARBON, SAID DILUENT HYDROCARBON BOILING IN THE RANGE BETWEEN 200* AND 1000* F., CONTACTING SAID MIXTURE WITH A DESULFURIZATION CATALYST UNDER REACTION CONDITIONS INCLUDING A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE BETWEEN 725* AND 825* F. IN THE PRESENCE OF HYDROGEN IN AN AMOUNT IN THE RANGE BETWEEN 500 AND 6000 CUBIC FEET PER BARREL OF MIXTURE AT A PRESSURE IN THE RANGE FROM 100 TO 1000 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH GAUGE AND AT A SPACE VELOCITY IN THE RANGE FROM 0.25 TO 5.0 VOLUMES OF MIXTURE PER VOLUME OF CATALYST PER HOUR, AND RECOVERING FROM SAID CONTACTED MIXTURE VALUABLE HYDROCARBONS OF LOWER BOILING RANGE THAN THE ASPHALTIC HYDROCARBON, AT LEAST 30% BY VOLUME OF SAID DILUENT REMAINING IN THE LIQUID PHASE UNDER SAID REACTION CONDITIONS AND AT LEAST 50% BY VOLUME OF THE DILUENT BOILING ABOVE 300* F. WITH NOT IN EXCESS OF 50% BY VOLUME OF THE DILUENT BOILING ABOVE 830* F.