Hydrofining-hydrocracking process employing special alumina base catalysts

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR HYDROGEN TREATMENT OF HEAVY PETROLEUM HYDROCARBON CONTAINING SULFUR, ASPHALTIC AND METALLIFEROUS COMPOUNDS AS CONTAMINANTS, CONTAINING SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNTS OF HYDROCARBON COMPONENTS BOILING ABOVE 300*F. AND CONTAINING RESIDUAL MATERIALS, WHICH PROCESS COMPRISES CONTACTING THE HYDROCARBONS WITH HYDROGEN AT A PRESSURE FROM ABOUT 300 TO ABOUT 3000 P.S.I., A SPACE VELOCITY FROM ABOUT 0.1 TO ABOUT 10.0 VOLUMES OF HEAVY HYDROCARBON PER VOLUME OF CATALYST PER HOUR, A HYDROGEN CONSUMPTION RATE FROM ABOUT 1 TO ABOUT 40 MOLS OF HYDROGEN PER ATOM OF SULFUR REMOVED FROM THE HEAVY HYDROCARBONS AND AT A TEMPERATURE FROM ABOUT 700 TO ABOUT 900*F. IN THE PRESENCE OF A CATALYST COMPRISING ESSENTIALLY A MINOR AMOUNT OF A HYDROGENATING CATALYST COMPOSITED WITH A MAJOR AMOUNT OF AN ACTIVATED ALUMINA HAVING LESS THAN 5 PERCENT OF ITS PORE VOLUME THAT IS IN THE FORM OF PORES HAVING A RADIUS OF 0 TO 300 A. IN PORES LARGER THAN 100 A. RADIUS AND HAVING LESS THAN 10 PERCENT OF SAID PORE VOLUME IN PRES LARGER THAN 80 A. RADIUS WHICH ALUMINA IS PREPARED BY TREATING A SUBSTANCE WHICH IS PREDOMINANTLY COMPOSED OF A CRYSTALLINE ALUMINA HYDRATE CONTAINING FROM 1.2 TO 2.6 MOLS OF WATER OF HYDRATION AND WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF ALUMINA MONOHYDRATE AND ALUMINA TRIHYDRATE, SAID ALUMINA HYDRATE BEING PREPARED BY PRECIPITATION FROM A SOLUTION OF AN ALUMINUM COMPOUND AT A PH BETWEEN 7 AND 12, AND DRYING TO THE ABOVE SPECIFIED WATER OF HYDRATION CONTENT PRIOR TO SUBSTANTIAL TRANSFORMATION TO AN ALUMINA HYDRATE HAVING A HIGHER OR LOWER WATER OF HYDRATION CONTENT, SAID TREATING COMPRISING HYDROTHERMALLY TREATING THE DRIED ALUMINA HYDRATE BY HEATING IT IN THE PRESENCE OF WATER AT A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENT TO VAPORIZE THE WATER UNDER AUTOGENOUS PRESSURE, WHEREBY THE ALUMINA HYDRATE IS CONVERTED SUBSTANTIALLY TO A MONOHYDRATE AND DRYING AND CALCINING THE HYDROTHERMALLY TREATED ALUMINA HYDRATE.