Hydrocarbon conversion process and catalyst

Claim 1

IN A CATALYTIC HYDROCRACKING PROCESS WHEREIN A HYDROCARBON FRACTION BOILING ABOVE THE GASOLINE RANGE IS CONTACTED WITH A CATALYST IN THE PRESENCE OF ADDED HYDROGEN AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN ABOUT 800* AND 1100* F., AND A PRESSURE BETWEEN ABOUT 500 AND 5000 P.S.I.G. TO EFFECT A SUBSTANTIALLY CONVERSION OF SAID HYDROCARBON FRACTION TO HYDROCARBONS BOILING IN THE GASOLINE RANGE, AND WHEREIN SAID CATALYST COMPRISES AS AN ESSENTIAL ACTIVE INGREDIENT A MINOR PROPORTION OF A TRANSITIONAL METAL COMPOUND, SAID ACTIVE INGREDIENT BEING DISTENDED ON A MAJOR PROPORTION OF A DIFFICULTY REDUCIBLE ADSORBENT OXIDE CARRIER WHICH CONTAINS A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF SILICA AND POSSESSES ACIDIC CRACKING ACTIVITY, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES UTILIZING IN SAID PROCESS A CATALYST OF THE ABOVE DESCRIPTION WHICH HAS BEEN FURTHER MODIFIED BY TREATMENT THEREOF IN ITS CALCINED, ACTIVATED FROM WITH OZONE AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN ABOUT -50* AND 570*F. FOR A PERIOD OF TIME SUFFICIENT TO EFFECT SUBSTANTIAL ABSORPTION OF OZONE, AND THEN REDUCING THE OZONIZED CATALYST WITH HYDROGEN AT A TEMPERATURE WHICH, AT LEAST DURING THE TERMINAL PERIOD OF CONTACTING, IS BETWEEN ABOUT 500* AND 1200*F.