Mineral oils: processes and products – Refining – Sulfur removal
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-18
2001-01-09
Myers, Helane E. (Department: 1764)
Mineral oils: processes and products
Refining
Sulfur removal
C208S108000, C208S143000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06171479
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an improved catalyst support and catalyst and, more particularly, a catalyst support and catalyst for use in a process for upgrading hydrocarbon feedstocks.
The prior art is replete with catalysts for use in processes for upgrading hydrocarbons to higher value products. Most of the aforesaid processes are carried out at elevated temperatures under controlled conditions. The processes tend to be expensive as a result of the high energy input required to carry out the processes at elevated temperatures and pressures. Catalysts are employed in the processes for various reasons, including, but not limited to, reducing the temperatures and pressures at which the hydrocarbon conversion reaction takes place.
Naturally, it would be highly desirable to provide improved catalyst supports and catalysts for use in hydrocarbon conversion processes which would allow for the hydrocarbon conversion to take place at significantly lower temperatures and pressures than heretofore attainable.
Accordingly, it is the principle object of the present invention to provide an improved catalyst support and catalyst for use in hydrocarbon conversion processes for the conversion of hydrocarbons to products of higher value.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a process, catalyst and catalyst support which allows for the hydrocarbon conversion processes to be carried out under more favorable conditions of temperature and pressure.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a catalyst and catalyst support which is useful in combination with microwave energy to convert hydrocarbon feeds to higher quality products.
Further objects and advantages of the present invention will appear hereinbelow.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, the foregoing objects and advantages are readily obtained.
The process of the present invention comprises providing a catalyst comprising a support, a microwave absorption material, and a catalytically active phase; heating the catalyst with a source of microwave energy which is absorbed by said microwave absorption material to increase the temperature of the catalyst to a desired temperature; and contacting said heated catalyst with a hydrocarbon feedstock for upgrading same.
In further accordance with the present invention, the catalyst includes a microwave absorption material characterized by a dielectric loss factor of greater than or equal to 1×10
−2
, preferably, 1×10
−1
. The dielectric loss factor is defined as tan &dgr; and is equal to e″/e′ in which e″ is the dielectric loss constant and is associated with the ability of the material to transform microwave into heat and, e′ is the dielectric constant associated with ability of the material to be polarized in an electric field. More information about this subject can be found in MINDOS, D. M.; BAGHURST, D. R., Chem. Soc. Rev., 20, 1 (1991) and references cited herein. In accordance with the present invention, the microwave absorption material may be incorporated into the catalyst support, formed as a single compound with the catalytically active phase, and/or included as a separate element in the final catalyst product. In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the catalytically active phase is selected from the group consisting of transition metal sulfides and is deposited on a support material which is, preferably, an inorganic oxide material.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The present invention relates to an improved catalyst and a process for upgrading hydrocarbon feedstocks employing the catalyst. The catalyst of the present invention comprises a support, a microwave absorption material, and a catalytically active phase. In accordance with the present invention, the catalyst support is formed of an inorganic oxide material selected from the group consisting of alumina, silica, zirconium oxide, magnesium oxide, titanium oxide and mixtures thereof. The microwave absorption material in the final catalyst product is selected from the group consisting of compounds of Si, Fe, Ni, Cr, S and mixtures thereof. Particularly suitable microwave absorption materials include SiC, MoS
2
, NiS, CoS, FeS, iron oxide, nickel oxide, chromium oxide and mixtures thereof.
In order to carry out a hydrocarbon conversion process, the catalyst of the present invention includes a catalytically active phase. In accordance with the present invention, it is preferred that the catalytically active phase is selected from the group consisting of transition metal sulfides and mixtures thereof. In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the catalytically active phase and microwave absorption material may be formed in a single compound. It is a critical feature of the present invention that the microwave absorption material is characterized by a dielectric loss factor of greater than or equal to 1×10
−2
, preferably, 1×10
−1
. Accordingly, if the microwave absorption material and catalytically active phase are formed in a single compound, the compound must have a dielectric loss factor greater than or equal to 1×10
−2
, preferably, 1×10
−1
. Suitable compounds for use in the catalyst of the present invention consist of MoS
2
, NiS, CoS, FeS, and mixtures thereof.
In accordance with the present invention, the composition of the catalyst is as follows: the support is present in the amount of between about 10 to 95 wt %, the microwave absorption material is present in an amount of between about 1 to 80 wt %, and the catalytically active phase is present in an amount of between about 1 to 50 wt %, all with respect to the total weight of the final catalyst. Preferably, the support is present in an amount between about 70 to 90 wt %, the microwave absorption material is present in an amount of between about 1 to 60 wt %, and the catalytically active phase is present in an amount of between about 1 to 20 wt %. It is preferred that the catalytically active phase be deposited directly on the support.
It is preferred that the catalyst be formed of grains having a grain size of less than or equal to 1.7 mm and preferably between 1.0 to 1.7 mm.
As noted above, the catalyst support may include the inorganic oxide material and the microwave absorption material wherein the ratio of the inorganic oxide material to the microwave absorption material in the support is between about 80:20 to 20:80. The catalytically active phase may then be deposited on the support structure so as to form the final catalyst product. Alternatively, the catalyst support may consist of only the inorganic oxide material and the microwave absorption material and catalytically active material may be deposited on the support as is known in the prior art. Furthermore, as noted above, the catalytically active phase and microwave absorption material may be in the form of a single compound which is deposited on the catalyst support.
The catalyst of the present invention allows for a process for upgrading hydrocarbon feedstocks which is efficient and economical. By providing a catalyst which includes therein a microwave absorption material, microwave energy can be provided to preferentially heat the catalyst to a temperature which allows for the hydrocarbon conversion process to take place without requiring the energy input necessary to heat an entire reactor to the requisite temperature as done in conventional processes. The process of the present invention comprises the following steps: providing a catalyst comprising a support, a microwave absorption material, and a catalytically active phase; heating the catalyst with the source of microwave energy so as to increase the temperature of the catalyst to a desired reaction temperature; and contacting a hydrocarbon feedstock with the heated catalyst for upgrading the hydrocarbon feedstock. In accordance with the process of the present invention, the catalyst is heated to a temperature of l
Morales Alfredo
Ovalles Cesar
Rivas Luis A.
Urbano Nora
Bachman & LaPointe P.C.
Intevep S.A.
Myers Helane E.
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