Hydrodemetallization of heavy oils in the presence of water

Claim 2

A process for at least partially removing at least one metal from a hydrocarbon containing feed stream, which also contains metals, by simultaneously contacting said feed stream under demetallization conditions with water, hydrogen and a catalyst composition comprising (a) aluminum phosphate, and (b) at least one metal component selected from the group of metals belonging to Group VIB of the periodic Table, wherein water is added as a substantially liquid stream and is at least partially mixed with said hydrocarbon feed stream before said simultaneous contacting with hydrogen and the catalyst composition, and the liquid volume ratio of water to the hydrocarbon feed stream ranges from about 1:50 to about 1:1.

Claim 3

A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the catalyst composition comprises (a) AlPO 4 and (b) a metal component selected from the group consisting of molybdenum and tungsten.

Claim 4

A process in accordance with claim 2 wherein the metal component is molybdenum.

Claim 5

A process in accordance with claim 3 wherein the amount of molybdenum ranges from about 0.5 to about 20 weight based on the total weight of said catalyst composition.

Claim 6

A process in accordance with claim 4 wherein the liquid volume ratio of water to hydrocarbon feed stream ranges from about 1:30 to about 1:3.

Claim 7

A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein said hydrocarbon containing feed stream is selected from the group consisting of crude oil, topped crude, residuum, heavy oil extract, coal pyrolyzate, coal extract and shale oil.

Claim 8

A process in accordance with claim 6 wherein the metals contained in the hydrocarbon containing feed stream is at least one of the group consisting of vanadium and nickel.

Claim 9

A process in accordance with claim 4 wherein said hydrocarbon feed stream is selected from the group consisting of crude oil, topped crude, residuum, heavy oil extract, coal pyrolyzate, coal extract and shale oil.

Claim 10

A process in accordance with claim 8 wherein the metals contained in the hydrocarbon feed stream are vanadium and nickel.

Claim 11

A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein said demetallization conditions comprise a liquid hourly space velocity of said hydrocarbon containing feed stream in the range of about 0.1 to about 10 cc/cc catalyst/hour, a temperature in the range of 250° C. to about 550° C., a pressure in the range of up to about 5000 psig, and a hydrogen flow rate in the range of about 100 to about 10,000 standard cubic feet per barrel of said hydrocarbon containing feed stream.

Claim 12

A process in accordance with claim 10 wherein said demetallization conditions comprise a liquid hourly space velocity of said hydrocarbon containing feed stream in the range of about 0.2 to about 3 cc/cc catalyst/hour, a temperature in the range of 350° C. to about 450° C., a pressure in the range of about 100 psig to about 2500 psig, and a hydrogen flow rate in the range of about 1000 to about 6,000 standard cubic feet per barrel of said hydrocarbon containing feed stream.

Claim 13

A process in accordance with claim 4 wherein said suitable demetallization conditions comprise a liquid hourly space velocity of said hydrocarbon containing feed stream in the range of about 0.1 to about 10 cc/cc catalyst/hour, a temperature in the range of 250° C. to about 550° C., a pressure in the range of up to about 5000 psig, and a hydrogen flow rate in the range of about 100 to about 10,000 standard cubic feet per barrel of said hydrocarbon containing feed stream.

Claim 14

A process in accordance with claim 12 wherein said suitable demetallization conditions comprise a liquid hourly space velocity of said hydrocarbon containing feed stream in the range of about 0.2 to about 3 cc/cc catalyst hour, a temperature in the range of 350° C. to about 450° C., a pressure in the range of about 100 psig to about 2500 psig, and a hydrogen flow rate in the range of about 1000 to about 6,000 standard cubic feet per barrel of said hydrocarbon containing feed stream.

Claim 15

A process in accordance with claim 13 wherein the temperature ranges from about 380° C. to about 440° C., and the liquid hourly space velocity of the hydrocarbon containing feed stream is in the range of about 0.5 to about 2 cc/cc catalyst/hour.

Claim 16

A process for purifying a hydrocarbon feed stream, which contains metals, comprising the steps of: (a) combining said hydrocarbon feed stream with a substantially liquid water stream at a liquid volume ratio of water to said hydrocarbon feed ranging from about 1:50 to about 1:1; (b) contacting the combined, at least partially mixed stream of hydrocarbon feed and water under demetallizing conditions simultaneously with hydrogen and a catalyst composition comprising aluminum phosphate and at least one Group VIB metal component so as to produce an at least partially demetallized hydrocarbon containing stream; (c) separating at least a portion of water from the hydrocarbon containing stream which has at least been partially demetallized in step (b).

Claim 17

A process for purifying a hydrocarbon feed stream, which contains metals, comprising the steps of: (a) combining said hydrocarbon feed stream with a substantially liquid water stream at a liquid volume ratio of water to said hydrocarbon feed ranging from about 1:50 to about 1:1; (b) contacting the combined, at least partially mixed stream of hydrocarbon feed and water under demetallizing conditions simultaneously with hydrogen and a catalyst composition comprising aluminum phosphate and at least one Group VIB metal component so as to produce an at least partially demetallized hydrocarbon containing stream; (c) separating at least a portion of water from the hydrocarbon containing stream which has at least been partially demetallized in step (b).

Claim 18

A process in accordance with claim 15 wherein said hydrocarbon feed stream also contains sulfur impurities comprising the additional step of: (d) hydrotreating at least a portion of the at least partially demetallized hydrocarbon stream, from which at least a portion of water has been separated, so as to remove at least a portion of sulfur impurities.

Claim 19

A process in accordance with claim 16 comprising the additional step of: (e) treating the hydrocarbon stream, which has been hydrotreated in step (d), in a cracking reactor so as to produce gasoline and other useful fuels.

Claim 20

A process in accordance with claim 15 wherein the hydrocarbon feed stream is selected from the group consisting of crude oil, topped crude, residuum, heavy oil extract, coal pyrolyzate, coal extract and shale oil.

Claim 21

A process in accordance with claim 15 wherein said demetallizing conditions comprise a liquid hourly space velocity of said hydrocarbon containing feed stream is in the range of about 0.1 to about 10 cc/cc catalyst/hour, a temperature in the range of 250° C. to about 550° C., a pressure in the range of up to about 5000 psig and a hydrogen flow rate in the range of about 100 to about 10,000 standard cubic feet per barrel of said hydrocarbon containing feed stream.

Claim 22

A process for producing gasoline and other useful fuels from a hydrocarbon feed stream containing metals comprising the steps of: (a) combining said hydrocarbon feed stream with a substantially liquid water stream at a liquid volume ratio of water to said hydrocarbon feed ranging from about 1:50 to about 1:1; (b) contacting the combined, at least partially mixed stream of hydrocarbon feed and water under suitable demetallizing conditions simultaneously with hydrogen and a catalyst composition comprising aluminum phosphate and at least one metal component selected from molybdenum and tungsten; (c) separating at least a portion of water from the hydrocarbon stream, which has at least partially been demetallized in step (b); (d) treating at least a portion of the at least partially demetallized hydrocarbon, from which at least a portion of water has been separated, in a cracking reactor so as to produce gasoline and other useful fuels.

Claim 23

A process for producing gasoline and other useful fuels from a hydrocarbon feed stream containing metals comprising the steps of: (a) combining said hydrocarbon feed stream with a substantially liquid water stream at a liquid volume ratio of water to said hydrocarbon feed ranging from about 1:50 to about 1:1; (b) contacting the combined, at least partially mixed stream of hydrocarbon feed and water under suitable demetallizing conditions simultaneously with hydrogen and a catalyst composition comprising aluminum phosphate and at least one metal component selected from molybdenum and tungsten; (c) separating at least a portion of water from the hydrocarbon stream, which has at least partially been demetallized in step (b); (d) treating at least a portion of the at least partially demetallized hydrocarbon, from which at least a portion of water has been separated, in a cracking reactor so as to produce gasoline and other useful fuels.

Claim 24

A process in accordance with claim 15 wherein said Group VIB metal is molybdenum.

Claim 25

A process in accordance with claim 16 wherein said Group VIB metal is molybdenum.