Method of making naphthalene and lower-boiling compounds from creosote oil

Claim 1

IN A METHOD OF MAKING NAPHTHALENE AND AROMATIC COMPOUNDS HAVING BOILING POINTS BELOW THAT OF NAPHTHALENE WHICH CONSISTS IN FEEDING CREOSOTE OIL COMPRISING SUBSTANTIALLY A MIXTURE OF POLYNUCLEAR AROMATIC COMPOUNDS INCLUDING HYDROCARBONS AND HETEROCYCLIC NITROGEN, OXYGEN AND SULPHUR COMPOUNDS BOILING BETWEEN 220 AND 350*C., THROUGH A REACTION ZONE, MAINTAINING IN SAID ZONE A BED OF CATALYST CONTAINING A COMPOUND OF MOLYBEDENUM SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF THE OXIDE AND SULPHIDE ON AN ALUMINA SUPPORT, HEATING SAID BED TO A TEMPERATURE OF FROM 450 TO 650*C., CONTINUOUSLY INTRODUCING GASEOUS HYDROGEN INTO SAID ZONE UNDER A PRESSURE OF FROM 500 TO 2500 P.S.I.G., CONTROLLING THE FEEDING OF THE MIXTURE TO MAINTAIN A LIQUID HOURLY SPACE VELOCITY OF SAID MIXTURE THROUGH SAID BED OF FROM .2 TO 3 V./V./HR., AND MAINTAINING IN SAID MAXTURE A SUPLHUR CONTENT FROM 0.1 TO 3% THEREBY CAUSING A SUPLHIDED CONDITION OF THE CATALYST CHARACTERIZED BY A MOLE RATIO OF SULPHUR TO METAL FROM .1 TO 2.