Hydrotreating process

Claim 2

In a process for hydrotreating a hydrocarbon feedstock to reduce the organo-sulfur or organo-nitrogen content thereof by contact with a catalyst under conditions of elevated temperature and pressure, and in the presence of hydrogen, the improvement wherein said catalyst comprises nickel, molybdenum, and phosphorus components on a support comprising gamma alumina, said catalyst having been prepared by a method including the steps of partially hydrating support particles comprising gamma alumina by contact with a gas comprising a substantial proportion of water vapor while said support particles are in motion relative to each other, impregnating the partially hydrated support particles with nickel, molybdenum, and phosphorus components, and calcining the resulting composite at an elevated temperature in the presence of oxygen.

Claim 3

A process as defined in claim 1 wherein said support particles are maintained in motion as an ebulliating bed during said hydrating.

Claim 4

A process as defined in claim 2 wherein, after said calcining, the catalyst is sulfided.

Claim 5

A process as defined in claim 1, 2, or 3 wherein said gas consists essentially of steam.

Claim 6

In a process for hydrotreating a hydrocarbon feedstock to reduce the organo-sulfur and organo-nitrogen contents thereof by contact with a catalyst under conditions of elevated temperature and pressure, and in the presence of hydrogen, the improvement wherein said catalyst comprises nickel, molybdenum, and phosphorus components on a support comprising gamma alumina, said catalyst having been prepared by a method including the steps of: (1) partially hydrating porous support particles comprising gamma alumina by contacting said particles with a gas comprising at least about 15 vol.% water vapor at a partial pressure of at least about 2 p.s.i.a. while said support particles are in motion; (2) subsequently impregnating the partially hydrated support particles with dissolved nickel, molybdenum, and phosphorus components; and (3) calcining the resulting composite at an elevated temperature in the presence of oxygen.

Claim 7

In a process for hydrotreating a hydrocarbon feedstock to reduce the organo-sulfur and organo-nitrogen contents thereof by contact with a catalyst under conditions of elevated temperature and pressure, and in the presence of hydrogen, the improvement wherein said catalyst comprises nickel, molybdenum, and phosphorus components on a support comprising gamma alumina, said catalyst having been prepared by a method including the steps of: (1) partially hydrating porous support particles comprising gamma alumina by contacting said particles with a gas comprising at least about 15 vol.% water vapor at a partial pressure of at least about 2 p.s.i.a. while said support particles are in motion; (2) subsequently impregnating the partially hydrated support particles with dissolved nickel, molybdenum, and phosphorus components; and (3) calcining the resulting composite at an elevated temperature in the presence of oxygen.

Claim 8

A process as defined in claim 5 wherein, after said calcining, the catalyst is sulfided.

Claim 9

In a process for hydrotreating a hydrocarbon feedstock to reduce the organo-sulfur and organo-nitrogen contents thereof by contact with a catalyst under conditions of elevated temperature and pressure, and in the presence of hydrogen, the improvement wherein said catalyst is a sulfided catalyst composition comprising nickel, molybdenum, and phosphorus components on a support comprising a substantial proportion of gamma alumina, said catalyst composition being in particulate form and having been prepared by a method including the steps of: (1) partially hydrating porous support particles containing a substantial proportion of gamma alumina by contacting said particles with a gas comprising at least about 15 vol.% water vapor at a partial pressure of at least about 5 p.s.i.a. while said support particles are in motion relative to each other; (2) subsequently introducing into the pores of the partially hydrated support particles nickel, molybdenum, and phosphorus components dissolved in an aqueous medium; and (3) calcining the resulting composite at an elevated temperature in the presence of air and sulfiding the calcined composite.

Claim 10

In a process for hydrotreating a hydrocarbon feedstock to reduce the organo-sulfur and organo-nitrogen contents thereof by contact with a catalyst under conditions of elevated temperature and pressure, and in the presence of hydrogen, the improvement wherein said catalyst is a sulfided catalyst composition comprising nickel, molybdenum, and phosphorus components on a support comprising a substantial proportion of gamma alumina, said catalyst composition being in particulate form and having been prepared by a method including the steps of: (1) partially hydrating porous support particles containing a substantial proportion of gamma alumina by contacting said particles with a gas comprising at least about 15 vol.% water vapor at a partial pressure of at least about 5 p.s.i.a. while said support particles are in motion relative to each other; (2) subsequently introducing into the pores of the partially hydrated support particles nickel, molybdenum, and phosphorus components dissolved in an aqueous medium; and (3) calcining the resulting composite at an elevated temperature in the presence of air and sulfiding the calcined composite.

Claim 11

In a process for hydrotreating a hydrocarbon feedstock to reduce the organo-sulfur and organo-nitrogen contents thereof by passage through a bed of catalyst particles in a hydrotreating zone, said zone being maintained at an elevated temperature and pressure and containing added hydrogen as a reactant, the improvement wherein said catalyst particles are a sulfided catalyst composition comprising nickel, molybdenum, and phosphorus on a porous refractory oxide support comprising gamma alumina, said catalyst particles having been prepared by a method including the steps of: (1) partially hydrating porous support particles containing a substantial proportion of gamma alumina by contacting said particles with a flowing gas stream comprising at least about 15 vol.% water vapor at a partial pressure of at least about 5 p.s.i.a. while said support particles are in motion relative to each other, said partial hydrating being such that essentially every support particle deviates in hydrating from the average hydration of all the particles by no more than about 20%; (2) subsequently introducing into the pores of the partially hydrated support particles nickel, molybdenum, and phosphorus components dissolved in an aqueous medium; and (3) calcining the resulting composite at an elevated temperature in the presence of air and sulfiding the calcined composite.

Claim 12

In a process for hydrotreating a hydrocarbon feedstock to reduce the organo-sulfur and organo-nitrogen contents thereof by passage through a bed of catalyst particles in a hydrotreating zone, said zone being maintained at an elevated temperature and pressure and containing added hydrogen as a reactant, the improvement wherein said catalyst particles are a sulfided catalyst composition comprising nickel, molybdenum, and phosphorus on a porous refractory oxide support comprising gamma alumina, said catalyst particles having been prepared by a method including the steps of: (1) partially hydrating porous support particles containing a substantial proportion of gamma alumina by contacting said particles with a flowing gas stream comprising at least about 15 vol.% water vapor at a partial pressure of at least about 5 p.s.i.a. while said support particles are in motion relative to each other, said partial hydrating being such that essentially every support particle deviates in hydrating from the average hydration of all the particles by no more than about 20%; (2) subsequently introducing into the pores of the partially hydrated support particles nickel, molybdenum, and phosphorus components dissolved in an aqueous medium; and (3) calcining the resulting composite at an elevated temperature in the presence of air and sulfiding the calcined composite.

Claim 13

In a process for hydrotreating a hydrocarbon feedstock to reduce the organo-sulfur and organo-nitrogen contents thereof by passage through a bed of catalyst particles in a hydrotreating zone maintained at a temperature between about 400° and 1000° F. and a pressure between about 100 and 5000 p.s.i.g., with hydrogen being introduced into said hydrotreating zone and with the feedstock being passed through said hydrotreating zone at a space velocity between about 0.1 and 15, the improvement wherein said catalyst particles are a sulfided catalyst composition comprising 12 to 30 wt.% molybdenum components, calculated as MoO 3 , 2 to 6 wt.% nickel components, calculated as NiO, and 2 to 6 wt.% phosphorus components, calculated as P, and wherein said catalyst composition has been prepared by a method including the steps of: (1) partially hydrating porous support particles consisting essentially of gamma alumina by contacting said particles with a gas consisting essentially of steam while said particles are in motion relative to each other, said support particles being partially hydrated by said contacting with an amount of water equivalent to that which would occupy between about 5 and 25% of the total pore volume; (2) impregnating said partially hydrated support particles with an aqueous liquid containing nickel, molybdenum, and phosphorus components in dissolved form, said impregnating being such that sufficient nickel, molybdenum, and phosphorus components are introduced into said support particles so as to provide a composite containing between about 12 and 30 percent by weight molybdenum components, calculated as MoO 3 , between about 2 and 6 percent by weight nickel components, calculated as NiO, and between 2 and 6 percent by weight phosphorus components, calculated as P; and (3) calcining the impregnated composite produced in step (2) and thereafter sulfiding the calcined composite.

Claim 14

In a process for hydrotreating a hydrocarbon feedstock to reduce the organo-sulfur and organo-nitrogen contents thereof by passage through a bed of catalyst particles in a hydrotreating zone maintained at a temperature between about 400° and 1000° F. and a pressure between about 100 and 5000 p.s.i.g., with hydrogen being introduced into said hydrotreating zone and with the feedstock being passed through said hydrotreating zone at a space velocity between about 0.1 and 15, the improvement wherein said catalyst particles are a sulfided catalyst composition comprising 12 to 30 wt.% molybdenum components, calculated as MoO 3 , 2 to 6 wt.% nickel components, calculated as NiO, and 2 to 6 wt.% phosphorus components, calculated as P, and wherein said catalyst composition has been prepared by a method including the steps of: (1) partially hydrating porous support particles consisting essentially of gamma alumina by contacting said particles with a gas consisting essentially of steam while said particles are in motion relative to each other, said support particles being partially hydrated by said contacting with an amount of water equivalent to that which would occupy between about 5 and 25% of the total pore volume; (2) impregnating said partially hydrated support particles with an aqueous liquid containing nickel, molybdenum, and phosphorus components in dissolved form, said impregnating being such that sufficient nickel, molybdenum, and phosphorus components are introduced into said support particles so as to provide a composite containing between about 12 and 30 percent by weight molybdenum components, calculated as MoO 3 , between about 2 and 6 percent by weight nickel components, calculated as NiO, and between 2 and 6 percent by weight phosphorus components, calculated as P; and (3) calcining the impregnated composite produced in step (2) and thereafter sulfiding the calcined composite.

Claim 15

A process as defined in claim 6, 7, 8, or 9 wherein said support particles in step (1) are maintained in motion as an ebulliating bed.

Claim 16

A process as defined in claim 5 or 7 wherein said support particles are kept in motion in step (1) by a rotating mixer.

Claim 17

A process as defined in claim 5, 6, 7, or 8 wherein said partial hydrating in step (1) is accomplished with a gas comprising at least about 50% water vapor.

Claim 18

A process as defined in claim 5 or 8 wherein said partial hydrating in step (1) is accomplished with a gas consisting essentially of steam.

Claim 19

A process as defined in claim 13 wherein said support particles in step (1) are maintained in motion as an ebulliating bed.

Claim 20

A process as defined in claim 1, 3, 5, 6 or 7 wherein at least 80% of said organo-sulfur components and at least 90% of said organo-nitrogen components are removed from said feedstock during said contacting of said feedstock with said catalyst.

Claim 21

A process as defined in claim 15 wherein said support particles are maintained in motion as an ebulliating bed during said partial hydrating of said support particles, and wherein said partial hydrating is accomplished with a gas comprising at least about 50% water vapor.

Claim 22

A process as defined in claim 8 or 9 wherein at least 80% of said organo-sulfur components and at least 90% of said organo-nitrogen components are removed from the feedstock during said passage of said feedstock through said bed of catalyst.

Claim 23

A process as defined in claim 17 wherein said support particles in step (1) are maintained in motion as an ebulliating bed.