Activation of deactivatex hydro- benitkimcation catalysts

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF REGENERATING A HIGH METAL CONTENT, SULFIDED, NICKEL-MOLBYDENUM-ALUMINA CATLYST CONTAINING AT LEAST 10 WEIGHT PERCENT SULFUR COMBINED WITH THE NICKEL AND MOLYBDENUM, WHICH CATALYST HAS BEEN DEACTIVATED BY THE DEPOSITION OF COMBUSTIBLE CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL THEREON DURING USE FOR HYDRODENITRIFICATION OF HYDROCARBON OILS BY PASSING HYDROCARBON OIL AND HYDROGEN AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURE OF 600-800*F. AND A PRESSURE ABOVE 500 P.S.I.G. THROUGH A REACTOR CONTAINING SAID CATALYST AS AT LEAST ONE FIXED BED OF CATALYST PARTICLES, COOLING THE REACTOR EFFLUENT, SEPARATING HYDROGEN-RICH GAS FROM LIQUID HYDROCARBONS IN A HIGH PRESSURE SEPARATOR, AND RECYCLING SAID HYDROGEN-RICH GAS THROUGH A GAS RECYCLE SYSTEM TO THE REACTOR INLET; WHICH METHOD COMPRISES: PURGING THE REACTOR, HIGH PRESSURE SEPARATOR, AND GAS RECYCLE SYSTEM OF HYDROCARBON OIL AND HYDROGEN AND INTRODUCING NITROGEN THEREIN TO ESTABLISH A NITROGEN PRESSURE OF AT LEAST 500 P.S.I.G, BURNING SAID CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL AND OXIDIZING NICKEL AND MOLBDENUM SULFIDES BY CIRCULATING SAID NITROGEN THROUGH THE REACTOR, HIGH PRESSURE SEPARATOR, AND GAS RECYCLE SYSTEM AT A PRESSURE AT LEAST 500 P.S.I.G. WHILE REMOVING SO2 FROM AND ADDING TO THE CIRCULATING NITROGEN TO PROVIDE AT THE REACTOR INLET A NITROGEN-AIR MIXTURE CONTAINING 0.1-2 MOL PERCENT OXYGEN AND FREE OF SULFUR OXIDES, CONTROLLING THE OXYGEN CONCENTRATION AND TEMPERATURE OF THE NITROGEN-AIR MIXTURE AT THE REACTOR INLET TO CONTROL THE MAXIMUM CATALYST TEMPERATURE (A) BETWEEN 500*F. AND 750F. UNTIL AN INTIAL BURNING WAVE HAS PASSED THROUGH THE CATALYST BEDS AND (B) AT LEAST 50*F. HIGHER BUT BETWEEN 650*F. AND 850*F. WHILE A SECOND BURNING WAVE PASSES THROUGH THE CATALYST BEDS, THEREAFTER INCREASING THE OXYGEN CONCENTRATION AND TEMPERATURE OF THE NITROGEN-AIR MIXTURE AT THE REACTOR INLET TO CONTROL THE MIXURE CATALYST TEMPERATURE AT LEAST 50* F. HIGHER BUT BETWEEN 800*F. AND 900*F., AND SUBSEQUENTLY RESULFIDING THE CATALYST.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF REGENERATING A HIGH METAL CONTENT, SULFIDED, NICKEL-MOLBYDENUM-ALUMINA CATLYST CONTAINING AT LEAST 10 WEIGHT PERCENT SULFUR COMBINED WITH THE NICKEL AND MOLYBDENUM, WHICH CATALYST HAS BEEN DEACTIVATED BY THE DEPOSITION OF COMBUSTIBLE CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL THEREON DURING USE FOR HYDRODENITRIFICATION OF HYDROCARBON OILS BY PASSING HYDROCARBON OIL AND HYDROGEN AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURE OF 600-800*F. AND A PRESSURE ABOVE 500 P.S.I.G. THROUGH A REACTOR CONTAINING SAID CATALYST AS AT LEAST ONE FIXED BED OF CATALYST PARTICLES, COOLING THE REACTOR EFFLUENT, SEPARATING HYDROGEN-RICH GAS FROM LIQUID HYDROCARBONS IN A HIGH PRESSURE SEPARATOR, AND RECYCLING SAID HYDROGEN-RICH GAS THROUGH A GAS RECYCLE SYSTEM TO THE REACTOR INLET; WHICH METHOD COMPRISES: PURGING THE REACTOR, HIGH PRESSURE SEPARATOR, AND GAS RECYCLE SYSTEM OF HYDROCARBON OIL AND HYDROGEN AND INTRODUCING NITROGEN THEREIN TO ESTABLISH A NITROGEN PRESSURE OF AT LEAST 500 P.S.I.G, BURNING SAID CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL AND OXIDIZING NICKEL AND MOLBDENUM SULFIDES BY CIRCULATING SAID NITROGEN THROUGH THE REACTOR, HIGH PRESSURE SEPARATOR, AND GAS RECYCLE SYSTEM AT A PRESSURE AT LEAST 500 P.S.I.G. WHILE REMOVING SO2 FROM AND ADDING TO THE CIRCULATING NITROGEN TO PROVIDE AT THE REACTOR INLET A NITROGEN-AIR MIXTURE CONTAINING 0.1-2 MOL PERCENT OXYGEN AND FREE OF SULFUR OXIDES, CONTROLLING THE OXYGEN CONCENTRATION AND TEMPERATURE OF THE NITROGEN-AIR MIXTURE AT THE REACTOR INLET TO CONTROL THE MAXIMUM CATALYST TEMPERATURE (A) BETWEEN 500*F. AND 750F. UNTIL AN INTIAL BURNING WAVE HAS PASSED THROUGH THE CATALYST BEDS AND (B) AT LEAST 50*F. HIGHER BUT BETWEEN 650*F. AND 850*F. WHILE A SECOND BURNING WAVE PASSES THROUGH THE CATALYST BEDS, THEREAFTER INCREASING THE OXYGEN CONCENTRATION AND TEMPERATURE OF THE NITROGEN-AIR MIXTURE AT THE REACTOR INLET TO CONTROL THE MIXURE CATALYST TEMPERATURE AT LEAST 50* F. HIGHER BUT BETWEEN 800*F. AND 900*F., AND SUBSEQUENTLY RESULFIDING THE CATALYST.