Hydrodesulfurization with a catalyst formed from an alumina sol containing alpha-alumina monohydrate

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR DESULFURIZING A SULFUR-CONTAINING PETROLEUM HYDROCARBON FRACTION WHICH COMPRISES PASSING SAID PETROLEUM HYDROCARBON FRACTION AND HYDROGEN IN CONTACT WITH A CATALYTIC COMPOSITE AT HYDRODESULFURIZATION REACTION CONDITIONS, SAID CATALYTIC COMPOSITE COMPRISING FROM ABOUT 5 TO ABOUT 20 WT. % GROUP VIB METAL OR METAL OXIDE AND FROM ABOUT 0.1 TO ABOUT 10 WT. % GROUP VIII METAL OR METAL OXIDE ON AN ALUMINA CARRIER MATERIAL, SAID CARRIER MATERIAL HAVING BEN PREPARED BY: A. ADMIXING AND SUSPENDING AN ALPHA-ALUMINA MONOHYDRATE IN A CHLORIDE ANION-CONTAINING ALUMINA SOL HAVING AN ALUMINUM CHLORIDE ANION RATIO OF FROM ABOUT 1:1 TO ABOUT 1.5:1, SAID ALPHA-ALUMINA MONOHYDRATE BEING ADMIXED IN SAID SOL IN AN AMOUNT TO PRIDE, ON GELATION OF SAID SOL, FROM ABOUT 25 TO ABOUT 50 WT. % OF SAID ALUMINA CARRIER MATERIAL; B. COMMINGLING THE RESULTING SUSPENSION WITH AN AMMONIA PRECURSOR AT BELOW GELATION TEMPERATURE, SAID PRECUSOR BEING DECOMPOSABLE TO AMMONIA WITH INCREASING TEMPERATURE; C. DISPERSING THE SUSPENSION OF STEP (B) AS DROPLETS IN A HOT OIL BATH EFFECTING DECOMPOSITION OF SAID PRECURSOR AND THE FORMATION OF HYDROGEL SPHERES THEREIN; D. AGING SAID SPHERES AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATUE EFFECTING DECOMPOSITION OF THE RESDIUAL AMMONIA PRECUSOR CONTAINED THEREIN, AND E. WASHING, DRYING AND CALCINING THE AGED ALUMINA SPHERES TO FORM SAID ALUMINA CARRIER MATERIAL.