Hydrogen donor diluent cracking process

Claim 1

A HYDROGEN DONOR DILUENT CRACKING PROCESS WHICH COMPRISES MAINTAINING IN THE LOWER PORTION OF A REACTION ZONE UNDER LIQUID PHASE HYDROGEN DONOR DILUENT CRACKING CONDITIONS INCLUDING A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF 750* TO 1000*F., A REACTION MIXTURE COMPRISING A CHARGING STOCK AND A HYDROGEN DONOR DILUENT HAVING A BOILING RANGE WITHIN THE LIMITS OF 450* TO 1000*F., INTRODUCING A HIGH BOILING CHARGING STOCK INTO SAID LOWER PORTION AT A RATE WITHIN THE RANGE OF 0.5 TO 10 V./V./HR., INTRODUCING A FREE HYDROGEN-CONTAINING GAS INTO THE BOTTOM PORTION OF SAID REACTION ZONE, CONTINUOUSLY WITHDRAWING OVERHEAD FROM SAID REACTION MIXTURE REACTION VAPORS BOILING BELOW THE INITIAL BOILING POINT OF SAID CHARGING STOCK COMPRISING SPENT HYDROGEN DONOR DILUENT AND CONVERSION PRODUCTS, PASSING SAID VAPORS UNDER HYDROGENATING CONDITIONS UPWARDLY THROUGH AN NTERMEDIATE PORTION OF SAID REACTION ZONE IN THE PRESENCE OF A HYDROGENATING CATALYST WHEREBY SAID SPENT HYDROGEN DONOR DILUENT IS REGENERATED, FRACTIONATING IN THE UPPER PORTION THE HYDROGENATED VAPORS TO OBTAIN, FIRST, SAID HYDROGEN DONOR DILUENT AND REACTION PRODUCTS BOILING WITHIN THE BOILING RANGE OF THE DONOR DILUENT AND THEN PRODUCTS OF INTERMEDIATE BOILING RANGE LEAVING FREE HYDROGEN-CONTAINING VAPORS, AND RETURNING THE HYDROGEN DONOR DILUENT AND THE REACTION PRODUCTS BOILING WITHIN THE BOILING RANGE OF THE DONOR DILUENT SO SEPARATED TO SAID REACTION MIXTURE.