Hydrocarbon upgrading process

Claim 1

In a process for selectively converting a mixture of n-paraffin and oxygenated n-paraffin by-products, said n-paraffin and by-products having from 6 to 30 carbon atoms, to a substantially pure n-paraffin recycle feedstock by catalytically hydrogenating said mixture and converting said oxygenated n-paraffin by-products to the corresponding n-paraffin, the improvement which comprises catalytically hydrogenating said mixture in the absence of substantial isomerization and hydrocracking at a temperature of from about 600° to 750° F. in the presence of a catalyst composed of alumina, from about 0.1 to 5.0 weight percent of a Group VIII metal and from about 0.05 to 2.0 weight percent of an alkali metal oxide or alkaline earth metal oxide or thallous oxide or mixtures thereof impregnated on said alumina to convert said by-products to n-paraffins.