Hydrodesulfurization process and catalyst therefor

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE PURIFICATION OF HYDROCARBONS AND MIXTURES OF HYDROCARBONS, CONTAINING UNDESIRABLE CONTAMINANTS, WHICH COMPRISES CONTACTING SAID HYDROCARBONS, IN A HYDROGENATION REACTION ZONE, WITH A HYDRODESULFURIZATION CATALYST CONTAINING AT LEAST ONE METALLIC COMPONENT SELECTED FROM THE METALS OF GROUPS VI-A AND VIII OF THE PERIODIC TABLE, EXISTING AS THE SULFIDE THEREOF, AND COMPOSITED WITH AN ALUMINA-TITANIA CARRIER MATERIAL, SAID CATALYST HAVING BEEN PREPARED BY SULFIDING A COMPOSITE OF ALUMINA, TITANIA AND AN OXIDE OF SAID METALIC COMPONENT WITH A GASEOUS MIXTURE OF HYDROGEN SULFIDE AND HYDROGEN OVER A TEMPERATURE RANGE INCREASING FROM ABOUT 400*F. TO ABOUT 750-800*F. AND THEREAFTER COOLING THE SULFIDED COMPOSITE TO BELOW 400*F. WHILE MAINTAINED UNDER A POSITIE PRESSURE OF HYDROGEN SULFIDE, REMOVING A MIXTURE OF NORMALLY GASEOUS MATERIAL AND SATURATED, NORMALLY LIQUID HYDROCARBONS FROM SAID HYDROGENATION REACTION ZONE, AND THEREAFTER SEPARATING SAID MIXTURE INTO A GASEOUS PHASE AND A LIQUID PHASE SUBSTANTIALLY FREE FROM THE AFORESAID UNDESIRABLE CONTAMINANTS.