Hydrocracking process

Claim 2

A process as claim in claim 2 wherein the conditions of catalyst feed rate and particle sIze of crude or residua feed are adjusted to produce fluidization of the catalyst particle in each bed.

Claim 3

A process as claimed in claim 3 wherein spent catalyst discharged from the metal removal reactor is generated and recycled to the reactor.

Claim 4

A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the catalyst used in the metal removal reactor is a catalyst capable of removing metals contained in the hydrocarbon and also of removing a substantial proportion of nonmetallic nonhydrocarbons contained in the crude or residua feed.

Claim 5

A process as claimed in claim 5 wherein the catalyst used in the metal removal reactor is a nickel, cobalt, molybdenum or combination of these active metals on an alumina carrier.

Claim 6

A process as claimed in claim 5 wherein the catalyst, before supply to the metal removal reactor or reactors is presulfided.

Claim 7

A process as claimed in claim 7 wherein the catalyst is presulfided using high pressure off gas produced in the process containing hydrogen, hydrogen sulfide and heavy hydrocarbons.

Claim 8

A process for the hydrocracking of crude or residua feed which comprises passing the crude or residua feed and hydrogen through a metal removal reactor comprising a plurality of catalyst beds through which catalyst falls progressively from the top of the reactor to the bottom while the crude or residua feed is fed upwardly through the metal removal reactor in countercurrent to the catalyst flow at a velocity sufficient to maintain said descending catalyst in a fluidized state, discharging the crude or residua hydrocarbon from the metal removal reactor and passing it by way of a quench heat exchange stage to a hydrocracker reactor and thereafter passing the hydrocracked feed to a separator stage by way of further quench heat exchange stages and further hydrocracker reactors, the temperatures and pressures of said crude or residua feed and said hydrogen in said metal reactor being within the ranges to effect the hydrogenation of said nonhydrocarbons in the presence of said catalyst.

Claim 9

A process as claimed in claim 9 wherein the quantity and rate of addition of catalyst to the metal removal reactor and the rate of passage of the catalyst from one bed to another of the reactor is so arranged that in conjunction with the throughput rate of crude or residua feed to the metal removal reactor the catalyst within each bed is in a fluidized condition.

Claim 10

A process as claimed in claim 9 wherein spent catalyst discharged from the metal removal reactor is regenerated and recycled to the reactor.

Claim 11

A process as claimed in claim 9 wherein the catalyst used in the metal removal reactor is a catalyst capable of removing metals contained in the hydrocarbon and also of removing a substantial proportion of nonmetallic nonhydrocarbons contained in the crude or residua feed.

Claim 12

A process as claimed in claim 12 wherein the catalyst used in the metal removal reactor is a nickel, cobalt, molybdenum or combination of these active metals on an alumina carrier.

Claim 13

A process as claimed in claim 9 wherein the metal removal reactor is split into two or more stages, the product hydrocarbon from the first stage being passed to the bottom of the second stage, the outlet temperature of the first stage being controlled at about 750* F. and the outlet temperature of the second stage being controlled at about not more than 800* F.

Claim 14

A process as claimed in claim 4 wherein spent catalyst from any given hydrocracker reactor is reactivated and recycled to the hydrocracker reactor.

Claim 15

A process as claimed in claim 9, wherein the catalyst, before supply to the metal removal reactor or reactors is presulfided.

Claim 16

A process as claimed in claim 9 wherein the hydrocracker reactors are two-bed reactors with quench heat exchange stages between beds or mulTistage reactors with heat exchange occurring within the bed as permitted by the good heat transfer afforded by a fluidized reactor system in a stage.

Claim 17

A process as claimed in claim 16 wherein the catalyst is sulfided using high pressure off gas produced in the process containing hydrogen, hydrogen sulfide and heavy hydrocarbons.