Hydrocarbon conversion process and catalyst therefor

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE CONVERSION OF A HYDROCARBON CHARGE STOCK CONTAINING HYDROCARBONS BOILING AT A TEMPERATURE ABOVE ABOUT 400*F. WHICH COMPRISES REACTING SAID CHARGE STOCK WITH HYDROGEN IN CONTACT WITH A FLUORIDEFREE CATALYTIC COMPOSITE OF A PLATIMUM-GROUP METALLIC COMPONENT, A REFRACTORY INORGANIC OXIDE AND COMBINED CHLORIDE IN AN AMOUNT ABOVE ABOUT 0.75% BUT BELOW 1.5% BY WEIGHT, CALCULATED AS ELEMENTALCHLORINE, AT CONDITIONS SELECTED TO PRODUCE A NET VOLUMETRIC YIELD OF HYDROCARBONS BOILING AT A TEMPERATURE BELOW THE INITIAL BOILING POINT OF SAID HYDROCARBON CHARGE, AND A NET VOLUMETRIC YIELD OF POLYNUCLEAR AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS BOILING AT A TEMPERATURE ABOVE ABOUT 400*F., SAID CATALYTIC COMPOSITE HAVING BEEN INITIALLY CALCINED AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM ABOUT 400*F. TO ABOUT 600*F. FOR AT LEAST ONE HOUR UNTIL THE VOLATILE MATTER CONTENT THEREOF HAS BEEN DECREASED TO BELOW ABOUT 5.0% BY WEIGHT AND THEN FURTHER CALCINED AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM ABOUT 700*F. TO ABOUT 1000*F. FOR AN ADDITIONAL PERIOD OF AT LEAST ONE HOUR UNTIL THE VOLATILE MATTER CONTENT HAS BEEN DECREASED TO BELOW ABOUT 2.0% BY WEIGHT.