Hydrofining process for hydrocarbon containing feed streams

Claim 2

A process for hydrofining a hydrocarbon-containing feed stream comprising the steps of: introducing the reaction product of a mercaptoalcohol and a molybdenum compound selected from the group consisting of molybdic acids, alkali metal salts of molybdic acids and ammonium salts of molybdic acids into said hydrocarbon-containing feed stream, wherein a sufficient quantity of said reaction product is added to said hydrocarbon-containing feed stream to result in a concentration of molybdenum in said hydrocarbon-containing feed stream in the range of about 1 to about 60 ppm; and contacting said hydrocarbon-containing feed stream containing said reaction product under suitable hydrofining conditions with hydrogen and a catalyst composition comprising a support comprising a refractory material selected from the group consisting of alumina, silica and silica-alumina and a promoter comprising at least one metal selected from Group VIB, Group VIIB and Group VIII of the Periodic Table.

Claim 3

A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said molybdenum compound is an ammonium salt of molybdic acid.

Claim 4

A method in accordance with claim 2 wherein said molybdenum compound is (NH 4 ) 6 Mo 7 O 24 .4H 2 O.

Claim 5

A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said mercapto alcohol has the generic formula ##STR2## wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 are independently selected from hydrogen or hydrocarbyl groups (alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, alkaryl, cycloalkaryl) having 1-20 carbon atoms, n=1-10 and m=1-10.

Claim 6

A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said mercaptoalcohol has the generic formula ##STR3## wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 are independently selected from hydrogen or hydrocarbyl groups (alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, alkaryl, cycloalkaryl) having 1-6 carbon atoms, n=1-2 and m=1-2.

Claim 7

A method in accordance with claim 5 wherein said mercaptoalcohol is selected from the group consisting of is HS--CH 2 --CH 2 --OH and HS--CH 2 --C(C 6 H 5 )H--OH.

Claim 8

A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said molybdenum compound and said mercaptoalcohol are reacted at a temperature in the range of about 20° C. to about 250° C., at a pressure in the range of about 0.1 to about 100 atmospheres and for a reaction time in the range of about 0.1 hour to about 48 hours.

Claim 9

A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said molybdenum compound and said mercaptoalcohol are reacted at a temperature in the range of about 80° C. to about 120° C., at a pressure of about 1 atmosphere and for a reaction time in the range of about 0.5 hour to about 3 hours.

Claim 10

A method in accordance with claim 8 wherein said molybdenum compound and said mercaptoalcohol are reacted in the presence of a solvent.

Claim 11

A method in accordance with claim 9 wherein said solvent is toluene.

Claim 12

A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein said catalyst composition comprises alumina, cobalt and molybdenum.

Claim 13

A process in accordance with claim 11 wherein said catalyst composition additionally comprises nickel.

Claim 14

A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein a sufficient quantity of said reaction product is added to said hydrocarbon-containing feed stream to result in a concentration of molybdenum in said hydrocarbon-containing feed stream in the range of about 2 to about 20 ppm.

Claim 15

A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein said suitable hydrofining conditions comprise a reaction time between said catalyst composition and said hydrocarbon-containing feed stream in the range of about 0.1 hour to about 10 hours, a temperature in the range of 250° C. to about 550° C., a pressure in the range of about atmospheric to about 10,000 psig and a hydrogen flow rate in the range of about 100 to about 20,000 standard cubic feet per barrel of said hydrocarbon-containing feed stream.

Claim 16

A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein said suitable hydrofining conditions comprise a reaction time between said catalyst composition and said hydrocarbon-containing feed stream in the range of about 0.3 hours to about 5 hours, a temperature in the range of 350° C. to about 450° C., a pressure in the range of about 500 to about 3,000 psig and a hydrogen flow rate in the range of about 1,000 to about 6,000 standard cubic feet per barrel of said hydrocarbon-containing feed stream.

Claim 17

A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the adding of said reaction product to said hydrocarbon-containing feed stream is interrupted periodically.

Claim 18

A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein said hydrofining process is a demetallization process and wherein said hydrocarbon-containing feed stream contains metals.

Claim 19

A process in accordance with claim 17 wherein said metals are nickel and vanadium.

Claim 20

In a hydrofining process in which a hydrocarbon-containing feed stream is contacted under suitable hydrofining conditions with hydrogen and a catalyst composition comprising a support comprising a refractory material selected from the group consisting of alumina, silica and silica-alumina and a promoter comprising at least one metal selected from Group VIB, Group VIIB, and Group VIII of the periodic table and in which said catalyst composition has been at least partially deactivated by use in said hydrofining process, a method for improving the activity of said catalyst composition for said hydrofining process comprising the step of adding the reaction product of a mercaptoalcohol and a molybdenum compound selected from the group consisting of molybdic acids, alkali metal salts of molybdic acids and ammonium salts of molybdic acids to said hydrocarbon-containing feed stream under suitable mixing conditions prior to contacting said hydrocarbon-containing feed stream with said catalyst composition, wherein a sufficient quantity of said reaction product is added to said hydrocarbon-containing feed stream with said catalyst composition, wherein a sufficient quantity of said reaction product is added to said hydrocarbon-containing feed stream to result in a concentration of molybdenum in said hydrocarbon-containing feed stream in the range of about 1 to about 60 ppm and wherein said reaction product was not added to said hydrocarbon-containing feed stream during the period of time that said catalyst composition was at least partially deactivated by said use in said hydrofining process.

Claim 21

In a hydrofining process in which a hydrocarbon-containing feed stream is contacted under suitable hydrofining conditions with hydrogen and a catalyst composition comprising a support comprising a refractory material selected from the group consisting of alumina, silica and silica-alumina and a promoter comprising at least one metal selected from Group VIB, Group VIIB, and Group VIII of the periodic table and in which said catalyst composition has been at least partially deactivated by use in said hydrofining process, a method for improving the activity of said catalyst composition for said hydrofining process comprising the step of adding the reaction product of a mercaptoalcohol and a molybdenum compound selected from the group consisting of molybdic acids, alkali metal salts of molybdic acids and ammonium salts of molybdic acids to said hydrocarbon-containing feed stream under suitable mixing conditions prior to contacting said hydrocarbon-containing feed stream with said catalyst composition, wherein a sufficient quantity of said reaction product is added to said hydrocarbon-containing feed stream with said catalyst composition, wherein a sufficient quantity of said reaction product is added to said hydrocarbon-containing feed stream to result in a concentration of molybdenum in said hydrocarbon-containing feed stream in the range of about 1 to about 60 ppm and wherein said reaction product was not added to said hydrocarbon-containing feed stream during the period of time that said catalyst composition was at least partially deactivated by said use in said hydrofining process.

Claim 22

A method in accordance with claim 19 wherein said molybdenum compound is an ammonium salt of molybdic acid.

Claim 23

A method in accordance with claim 20 wherein said molybdenum compound is (NH 4 ) 6 Mo 7 O 24 .4H 2 O.

Claim 24

A method in accordance with claim 19 wherein said mercaptoalcohol has the generic formula ##STR4## wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 are independently selected from hydrogen or hydrocarbyl groups (alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, alkaryl, cycloalkaryl) having 1-20 carbon atoms, n=1-10 and m=1-10.

Claim 25

A method in accordance with claim 19 wherein said mercapto alcohol has the generic formula ##STR5## wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 are independently selected from hydrogen or hydrocarbyl groups (alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, alkaryl, cycloalkaryl) having 1-6 carbon atoms, n=1-2 and m=1-2.

Claim 26

A method in accordance with claim 23 wherein said mercaptoalcohol is selected from the group consisting of is HS--CH 2 --CH 2 --OH and HS--CH 2 --C(C 6 H 5 )H--OH.

Claim 27

A method in accordance with claim 19 wherein said molybdenum compound and said mercaptoalcohol are reacted at a temperature in the range of about 20° C. to about 250° C., at a pressure in the range of about 0.1 to about 100 atmospheres and for a reaction time in the range of about 0.1 hour to about 48 hours.

Claim 28

A method in accordance with claim 19 wherein said molybdenum compound and said mercaptoalcohol are reacted at a temperature in the range of about 80° C. to about 120° C., at a pressure of about 1 atmosphere and for a reaction time in the range of about 0.5 hour to about 3 hours.

Claim 29

A method in accordance with claim 26 wherein said molybdenum compound and said mercaptoalcohol are reacted in the presence of a solvent.

Claim 30

A method in accordance with claim 27 wherein said solvent is toluene.

Claim 31

A process in accordance with claim 19 wherein said catalyst composition is a spent catalyst composition due to use in said hydrofining process.

Claim 32

A process in accordance with claim 19 wherein said catalyst composition comprises alumina, cobalt and molybdenum.

Claim 33

A process in accordance with claim 30 wherein said catalyst composition additionally comprises nickel.

Claim 34

A process in accordance with claim 19 wherein a sufficient quantity of said reaction product is added to said hydrocarbon-containing feed stream to result in a concentration of molybdenum in said hydrocarbon-containing feed stream in the range of about 2 to about 20 ppm.

Claim 35

A process in accordance with claim 19 wherein said suitable hydrofining conditions comprise a reaction time between said catalyst composition and said hydrocarbon-containing feed stream in the range of about 0.1 hour to about 10 hours, a temperature in the range of 250° C. to about 550° C., a pressure in the range of about atmospheric to about 10,000 psig and a hydrogen flow rate in the range of about 100 to about 20,000 standard cubic feet per barrel of said hydrocarbon-containing feed stream.

Claim 36

A process in accordance with claim 19 wherein said suitable hydrofining conditions comprise a reaction time between said catalyst composition and said hydrocarbon-containing feed stream in the range of about 0.3 hours to about 5 hours, a temperature in the range of 350° C. to about 450° C., a pressure in the range of about 500 to about 3,000 psig and a hydrogen flow rate in the range of about 1,000 to about 6,000 standard cubic feet per barrel of said hydrocarbon-containing feed stream.

Claim 37

A process in accordance with claim 19 wherein the adding of said reaction product to said hydrocarbon-containing feed stream is interrupted periodically.

Claim 38

A process in accordance with claim 19 wherein said hydrofining process is a demetallization process and wherein said hydrocarbon-containing feed stream contains metals.

Claim 39

A process in accordance with claim 36 wherein said metals are nickel and vanadium.