Regeneration and reuse of catalyst

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR REGENERATING AND REUSING A MOLYBDENUM CONTAINING CATALYST WHICH HAS BECOME DEACTIVATED BY DEPOSITION OF ABOUT 5% TO ABOUT 10% BY WEIGHT OF CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL THEREON IN A REACTION ZONE WHEREIN PRESSURE DROP HAS INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE HYDROGEN TREATMENT OF A PETROLEUM FRACTION BOILING IN THE GASOLINE, GAS OIL AND LUBRICATING OIL RANGE UNDER HYDROFINING REACTION CONDITIONS AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 450* TO ABOUT 750*F. AND AT A PRESSURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 50 TO 800 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH GAUGE IN WHICH A MIXTURE OF HYDROGEN AND SAID PETROLEUM FRACTION IS CONTACTED WITH SAID CATALYST FOR A TIME FROM ABOUT 1 TO ABOUT 6 MONTHS, SAID HYDROGEN BEILING EMPLOYED IN AN AMOUNT IN THE RANGE FROM ABOUT 200 TO ABOUT 2,000 STANDARD CUBIC FEET PER BARREL OF SAID FRACTION, AND SAID FRACTION BEING CONTACTED WITH SAID CATALYST AT A SPACE VELOCITY IN THE RANGE FROM ABOUT 0.25 TO ABOUT 10 VOLUMES OF SAID FRACTION PER VOLUME OF CATALYST PER HOUR WHICH COMPRISES DISCONTINUING CONTACT OF SAID CATALYST WITH SAID PETROLEUM FRACTION AND CONTINUING THE CONTACT OF SAILD CATALYST WITH SAID HYDROGEN FOR A TIME OF ABOUT 1 HOUR SUFFICIENT TO REMOVE ANY OF SAID PETROLEUM FRACTION REMAINING ON SAID CATALYST IN A LIQUID PHASE, THEREAFTER CONTACTING THE CATALYST WITH STEAM FOR ABOUT TWO HOURS UNTIL THE CATALYST IS FREE OF SAID PETROLEUM FRACTION, INCREASING THE AMOUNT AND TEMPERATURE OF THE STEAM IN CONTACT WITH THE CATALYST UNTIL A TEMPERATURE OF APPROXIMATELY 850*F. IS ATTAINED BY THE CATALYST, BURNING CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL FROM SAID CATALYST IN A COMBUSTION OPERATION AT A TEMPERATURE NO GREATER THAN APPROXIMATELY 1000*F. BY PROVIDING IN SAID STEAM A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT NO GREATER THAN ABOUT 1 MOL PERCENT OF FREE OXYGEN TO REMOVE SAID CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL FROM THE CATALYST, REMOVING OXYGEN FROM SAID STEAM AND CONTINUING THE CONTACT OF SAID CATALYST WITH STEAM FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES, CONTACTING SAID BURNED CATALYST WITH HYDROGEN WHILE REDUCING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE CATALYST TO A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 450* TO ABOUT 750* F., AND THEN AGAIN CONTACTING SAID CATALYST WITH A MIXTURE OF HYDROGEN AND SAID PETROLEUM FRACTION FOR A TIME FROM ABOUT 1 TO ABOUT 6 MONTHS UNDER SAID HYDROFINING REACTION CONDITIONS AT A SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTION IN PRESSURE DROP, SAID HYDROGEN CONTACTING BEING CONDUCTED AT A PRESSURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 150 TO ABOUT 225 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH AND THE STEAMING AND BURNING BEING CONDUCTED AT A PRESSURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 10 TO ABOUT 50 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR REGENERATING AND REUSING A MOLYBDENUM CONTAINING CATALYST WHICH HAS BECOME DEACTIVATED BY DEPOSITION OF ABOUT 5% TO ABOUT 10% BY WEIGHT OF CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL THEREON IN A REACTION ZONE WHEREIN PRESSURE DROP HAS INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE HYDROGEN TREATMENT OF A PETROLEUM FRACTION BOILING IN THE GASOLINE, GAS OIL AND LUBRICATING OIL RANGE UNDER HYDROFINING REACTION CONDITIONS AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 450* TO ABOUT 750*F. AND AT A PRESSURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 50 TO 800 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH GAUGE IN WHICH A MIXTURE OF HYDROGEN AND SAID PETROLEUM FRACTION IS CONTACTED WITH SAID CATALYST FOR A TIME FROM ABOUT 1 TO ABOUT 6 MONTHS, SAID HYDROGEN BEILING EMPLOYED IN AN AMOUNT IN THE RANGE FROM ABOUT 200 TO ABOUT 2,000 STANDARD CUBIC FEET PER BARREL OF SAID FRACTION, AND SAID FRACTION BEING CONTACTED WITH SAID CATALYST AT A SPACE VELOCITY IN THE RANGE FROM ABOUT 0.25 TO ABOUT 10 VOLUMES OF SAID FRACTION PER VOLUME OF CATALYST PER HOUR WHICH COMPRISES DISCONTINUING CONTACT OF SAID CATALYST WITH SAID PETROLEUM FRACTION AND CONTINUING THE CONTACT OF SAILD CATALYST WITH SAID HYDROGEN FOR A TIME OF ABOUT 1 HOUR SUFFICIENT TO REMOVE ANY OF SAID PETROLEUM FRACTION REMAINING ON SAID CATALYST IN A LIQUID PHASE, THEREAFTER CONTACTING THE CATALYST WITH STEAM FOR ABOUT TWO HOURS UNTIL THE CATALYST IS FREE OF SAID PETROLEUM FRACTION, INCREASING THE AMOUNT AND TEMPERATURE OF THE STEAM IN CONTACT WITH THE CATALYST UNTIL A TEMPERATURE OF APPROXIMATELY 850*F. IS ATTAINED BY THE CATALYST, BURNING CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL FROM SAID CATALYST IN A COMBUSTION OPERATION AT A TEMPERATURE NO GREATER THAN APPROXIMATELY 1000*F. BY PROVIDING IN SAID STEAM A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT NO GREATER THAN ABOUT 1 MOL PERCENT OF FREE OXYGEN TO REMOVE SAID CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL FROM THE CATALYST, REMOVING OXYGEN FROM SAID STEAM AND CONTINUING THE CONTACT OF SAID CATALYST WITH STEAM FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES, CONTACTING SAID BURNED CATALYST WITH HYDROGEN WHILE REDUCING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE CATALYST TO A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 450* TO ABOUT 750* F., AND THEN AGAIN CONTACTING SAID CATALYST WITH A MIXTURE OF HYDROGEN AND SAID PETROLEUM FRACTION FOR A TIME FROM ABOUT 1 TO ABOUT 6 MONTHS UNDER SAID HYDROFINING REACTION CONDITIONS AT A SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTION IN PRESSURE DROP, SAID HYDROGEN CONTACTING BEING CONDUCTED AT A PRESSURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 150 TO ABOUT 225 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH AND THE STEAMING AND BURNING BEING CONDUCTED AT A PRESSURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 10 TO ABOUT 50 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH.