U.S. patent application number 14/464300 was filed with the patent office on 2015-05-21 for process for pyrolysis of coal.
The applicant listed for this patent is UOP LLC. Invention is credited to Paul T. Barger, Maureen L. Bricker, Joseph A. Kocal, Matthew Lippmann.
Application Number | 20150136656 14/464300 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 53172214 |
Filed Date | 2015-05-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150136656 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Barger; Paul T. ; et
al. |
May 21, 2015 |
PROCESS FOR PYROLYSIS OF COAL
Abstract
A process for pyrolyzing a coal feed is described. The coal feed
is pyrolyzed into a coal tar stream and a coke stream in a
pyrolysis zone. The coal tar stream is fractionated into at least a
pitch stream. The pitch stream is hydrogenated, and the
hydrogenated pitch stream is recycled into the pyrolysis zone. The
hydrocarbon stream may be processed further by at least one of
hydrotreating, hydrocracking, fluid catalytic cracking, alkylation,
and transalkylation.
Inventors: |
Barger; Paul T.; (Arlington
Heights, IL) ; Bricker; Maureen L.; (Buffalo Grove,
IL) ; Kocal; Joseph A.; (Glenview, IL) ;
Lippmann; Matthew; (Chicago, IL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
UOP LLC |
Des Plaines |
IL |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
53172214 |
Appl. No.: |
14/464300 |
Filed: |
August 20, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61906010 |
Nov 19, 2013 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
208/415 |
Current CPC
Class: |
C10G 1/08 20130101; C10G
1/06 20130101; C10G 1/002 20130101; C10G 1/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
208/415 |
International
Class: |
C10G 1/00 20060101
C10G001/00 |
Claims
1. A process comprising: pyrolyzing a coal feed into a coal tar
stream and a coke stream in a pyrolysis zone; separating the coal
tar stream into at least a pitch stream; hydrogenating the pitch
stream; and recycling the hydrogenated pitch stream into the
pyrolysis zone.
2. The process of claim 1 wherein hydrogenating the pitch stream
comprises contacting the pitch stream with a hydrogenation catalyst
consisting of metal selected from the group consisting of Group VI
metals (Cr, Mo, W), Group VII metals (Mn, Tc, Re), or Group VIII
metals (Fe, Co, Ni, Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir, Pt) and combinations
thereof supported on an inorganic oxide, carbide or sulfide
support, including Al.sub.2O.sub.3, SiO.sub.2,
SiO.sub.2--Al.sub.2O.sub.3, zeolites, non-zeolitic molecular
sieves, ZrO.sub.2, TiO.sub.2, ZnO, and SiC.
3. The process of claim 1 wherein hydrogenating the pitch stream
takes place at a temperature between about 250.degree. C. and about
500.degree. C.
4. The process of claim 1 wherein the hydrogenation takes place at
a pressure between about 1.72 MPa (about 250 psig) and about 20.7
MPa (about 3,000 psig).
5. The process of claim 1 wherein separating the coal tar stream
further provides a hydrocarbon stream.
6. The process of claim 5 further comprising: recovering at least
one product from the hydrocarbon stream.
7. The process of claim 1 further comprising: feeding additional
coal feed into the pyrolysis zone; and pyrolyzing the recycled
pitch stream.
8. The process of claim 6 further comprising: processing the
hydrocarbon stream to produce at least one product.
9. The process of claim 8 wherein the hydrocarbon stream is
processed by at least one of hydrotreating, hydrocracking, fluid
catalytic cracking, alkylation, and transalkylation.
10. The process of claim 9 further comprising: treating at least
one product to remove contaminants.
11. A process for recovering at least one product from coal tar
comprising: introducing a coal feed into a pyrolysis zone;
pyrolyzing the coal feed in the pyrolysis zone to produce a coal
tar stream and a coke stream; separating the coal tar stream into
at least one hydrocarbon stream and a pitch stream; hydrogenating
the pitch stream; recycling the hydrogenated pitch stream to the
pyrolysis zone; pyrolyzing the hydrogenated pitch stream; and
recovering at least one product from the hydrocarbon stream.
12. The process of claim 11 wherein the recovering comprises:
processing the hydrocarbon stream by at least one of hydrotreating,
hydrocracking, fluid catalytic cracking, alkylation, and
transalkylation.
13. The process of claim 11 wherein hydrogenating the pitch stream
comprises contacting the pitch stream with a hydrogenation catalyst
consisting of metal selected from the group consisting of Group VI
metals (Cr, Mo, W), Group VII metals (Mn, Tc, Re) or Group VIII
metals (Fe, Co, Ni, Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir, Pt) metals and combinations
thereof supported on an inorganic oxide, carbide or sulfide
support, including Al.sub.2O.sub.3, SiO.sub.2,
SiO.sub.2--Al.sub.2O.sub.3, zeolites, non-zeolitic molecular
sieves, ZrO.sub.2, TiO.sub.2, ZnO, and SiC.
14. The process of claim 11, wherein hydrogenating the pitch stream
takes place at a temperature between about 250.degree. C. and about
500.degree. C.
15. The process of claim 11, wherein hydrogenating the pitch stream
takes place at a pressure between about 1.72 MPa (about 250 psig)
and about 20.7 MPa (about 3,000 psig).
16. The process of claim 11 wherein pyrolyzing the hydrogenated
pitch stream further comprises pyrolyzing additional coal feed with
the hydrogenated pitch stream.
17. The process of claim 11 wherein hydrogenating the pitch stream
uses hydrogen provided in a hydrogen-containing compound selected
from the group consisting of tetralin, alcohols, and hydrogenated
naphthalenes.
18. The process of claim 1 wherein hydrogenating the pitch stream
comprises adding hydrogen to a hydrogenation zone.
19. The process of claim 11 wherein separating the coal tar stream
provides a plurality of hydrocarbon streams and the pitch
stream.
20. The process of claim 11 wherein hydrogenating the pitch stream
uses a catalyst bed selected from the group consisting of a fixed
catalyst bed, an ebulated catalyst bed, and a fluidized catalyst
bed.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional
Application No. 61/906,010, filed on Nov. 19, 2013, the entirety of
which is incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Many different types of chemicals are produced from the
processing of petroleum. However, petroleum is becoming more
expensive because of increased demand in recent decades.
[0003] Therefore, attempts have been made to provide alternative
sources for the starting materials for manufacturing chemicals.
Attention is now being focused on producing liquid hydrocarbons
from solid carbonaceous materials, such as coal, which is available
in large quantities in countries such as the United States and
China.
[0004] Pyrolysis of coal produces coke and coal tar. The
coke-making or "coking" process consists of heating the material in
closed vessels in the absence of oxygen to very high temperatures.
Coke is a porous but hard residue that is mostly carbon and
inorganic ash, which can be used in making steel.
[0005] Coal tar is the volatile material that is driven off during
heating, and it comprises a mixture of a number of hydrocarbon
compounds. It can be separated to yield a variety of organic
compounds, such as benzene, toluene, xylene, naphthalene,
anthracene, and phenanthrene. These organic compounds can be used
to make numerous products, for example, dyes, drugs, explosives,
flavorings, perfumes, preservatives, synthetic resins, and paints
and stains.
[0006] While lighter hydrocarbon streams from coal tar can be more
easily processed to produce desirable products, the pitch stream
includes aromatic cores that make the pitch more difficult to react
in further processing. The residual pitch left from the separation
conventionally is used for paving, roofing, waterproofing, and
insulation.
[0007] There is a need for improved processes for making
value-added products from coal tar.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] One aspect of the invention involves a process for
pyrolyzing a coal feed. The coal feed is pyrolyzed into a coal tar
stream and a coke stream in a pyrolysis zone. The coal tar stream
is separated into at least a pitch stream. The pitch stream is
hydrogenated, and the hydrogenated pitch stream is recycled into
the pyrolysis zone.
[0009] Another aspect of the invention includes a process for
removing at least one product from coal tar. A coal feed is
introduced into a pyrolysis zone, and the coal feed is pyrolyzed in
the pyrolysis zone to produce a coal tar stream and a coke stream.
The coal tar stream is separated into at least one hydrocarbon
stream and a pitch stream. The pitch stream is hydrogenated, and
the hydrogenated pitch stream is recycled to the pyrolysis zone.
The hydrogenated pitch stream is pyrolyzed. At least one product is
recovered from the hydrocarbon stream.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] The FIGURE is an illustration of one embodiment of the
process of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0011] The Figure shows one embodiment of a coal conversion process
5 of the present invention. A coal feed 10 is sent to a pyrolysis
zone 15. In some processes, all or a portion of the coal feed 10 is
also sent to a gasification zone (not shown), where the coal feed
is mixed with oxygen and steam and reacted under heat and pressure
to form syngas, which is a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen.
The syngas can be further processed using the Fischer-Tropsch
reaction to produce gasoline or using the water-gas shift reaction
to produce more hydrogen. The coal feed 10 can be sent to the
pyrolysis zone 15, the gasification zone, or the coal feed 10 can
be split into two parts and sent to both.
[0012] In the pyrolysis zone 15, the coal feed 10 is heated at high
temperature, e.g., up to about 2,000.degree. C. (3,600.degree. F.),
in the absence of oxygen to drive off the volatile components.
Pyrolysis produces a coke stream 25 and a coal tar stream 20. The
coke stream 25 can be used in other processes, such as the
manufacture of steel.
[0013] The coal tar stream 20 is sent to a separation zone 30 where
it is separated at least a pitch stream. Preferably, the coal tar
stream 20 is separated into two or more fractions 35, 40, 45, 50,
55. Suitable separation processes include, but are not limited to
fractionation, solvent extraction, and adsorption. Coal tar
comprises a complex mixture of heterocyclic aromatic compounds and
their derivatives with a wide range of boiling points. The number
of fractions and the components in the various fractions can be
varied as is well known in the art. A typical separation process
involves separating the coal tar stream 20 into four to six
streams. For example, there can be a fraction 35 comprising
NH.sub.3, CO, and light hydrocarbons, a light oil fraction 40 with
boiling points between 0.degree. C. and 180.degree. C., a middle
oil fraction 45 with boiling points between 180.degree. C. to
230.degree. C., a heavy oil fraction 50 with boiling points between
230 to 270.degree. C., an anthracene oil fraction (not shown) with
boiling points between 270.degree. C. to 350.degree. C., and a
pitch stream 55.
[0014] The light oil fraction 40 contains compounds such as
benzenes, toluenes, xylenes, naphtha, coumarone-indene,
dicyclopentadiene, pyridine, and picolines. The middle oil fraction
45 contains compounds such as phenols, cresols and cresylic acids,
xylenols, naphthalene, high boiling tar acids, and high boiling tar
bases. The heavy oil fraction 50 contains creosotes. The anthracene
oil fraction (not shown) contains anthracene. The pitch stream 55
is the residue of the coal tar distillation containing primarily
aromatic hydrocarbons and heterocyclic compounds.
[0015] The pitch stream 55 includes polynuclear aromatic (PNA)
cores that are difficult to react for further processing, as
compared to lighter hydrocarbon fractions. In the process 5, the
pitch stream 55 is sent to a hydrogenation zone 60 for
hydrogenating the pitch stream 55.
[0016] Hydrogenation involves the addition of hydrogen to
hydrogenatable hydrocarbon compounds. Alternatively hydrogen can be
provided in a hydrogen-containing compound with ready available
hydrogen, such as tetralin, alcohols, hydrogenated naphthalenes,
and others via a transfer hydrogenation process. The hydrogenatable
hydrocarbon compounds are introduced into the hydrogenation zone 60
and contacted with a hydrogen-rich gaseous phase and a
hydrogenation catalyst in order to hydrogenate at least a portion
of the hydrogenatable hydrocarbon compounds. The hydrogenation zone
60 may contain a fixed, ebulated or fluidized catalyst bed.
[0017] An example hydrogenation process in the hydrogenation zone
60 takes place at a temperature between about 250.degree. C. and
about 500.degree. C., and at a pressure between about 1.72 MPa
(about 250 psig) and about 20.7 MPa (about 3,000 psig). The
hydrogenation includes contacting the pitch stream 55 with a
hydrogenation catalyst consisting of metal selected from the group
consisting of Group VI metals (Cr, Mo, W), Group VII metals (Mn,
Tc, Re) or Group VIII metals (Fe, Co, Ni, Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir, Pt)
metals and combinations thereof supported on an inorganic oxide,
carbide or sulfide support, including Al.sub.2O.sub.3, SiO.sub.2,
SiO.sub.2--Al.sub.2O.sub.3, zeolites, non-zeolitic molecular
sieves, ZrO.sub.2, TiO.sub.2, ZnO, and SiC. The liquid hourly space
velocity (LHSV) is typically in the range from about 0.2 hr.sup.-1
to about 10 hr.sup.-1 and hydrogen circulation rates from about 200
standard cubic feet per barrel (SCFB) (35.6 m.sup.3/m.sup.3) to
about 10,000 SCFB (1,778 m.sup.3/m.sup.3).
[0018] The hydrogenation zone 60 hydrogenates at least a portion of
the aromatic cores in the pitch stream 55 to make them more
reactive; for instance, the hydrogenated aromatic cores can crack
open more easily in a subsequent thermal reaction. The hydrogenated
pitch stream 65 with hydrogenated aromatic cores is recycled to the
pyrolysis zone 15. Additional coal feed 10 can also be fed to the
pyrolysis zone 15. For example, the hydrogenated pitch stream 65
can be combined with the new coal feed 10, and this combined feed
can be fed to the pyrolysis zone 15, or the hydrogenated pitch
stream 65 and new coal feed 10 can separately be delivered to the
pyrolysis zone 15.
[0019] Pyrolyzing the recycled hydrogenated pitch stream 65, alone
or with additional coal feed 10, provides a coal tar stream 20
output having lighter fractions. The pyrolysis zone 15, the
fractionation zone 30, and the hydrogenation zone 60, with new coal
feed 10 for pyrolysis, can provide a cycle that is repeated
multiple times to provide an increased amount of the lighter
fractions for additional processing.
[0020] One or more of the fractions 35, 40, 45, 50, 55 (hydrocarbon
streams) can be recovered as at least one product, or may be
further processed as desired to recover at least one product. In
the example process 5, fraction 45 is sent to a hydrocarbon
conversion zone 80. Where hydrocarbon conversion zone 80 includes a
catalyst which is sensitive to sulfur, the fraction 35, 40, 45, 50,
55 can be sent to a hydrotreating zone 70 for treating to remove
contaminants sulfur and nitrogen. The hydrotreating effluent 75 is
then sent to the hydrocarbon conversion zone 80 for hydrocracking,
for example, to recover at least one product 85.
[0021] Hydrotreating is a process in which hydrogen gas is
contacted with a hydrocarbon stream in the presence of suitable
catalysts which are primarily active for the removal of
heteroatoms, such as sulfur, nitrogen, and metals from the
hydrocarbon feedstock. In hydrotreating, hydrocarbons with double
and triple bonds may be saturated. Aromatics may also be saturated.
Typical hydrotreating reaction conditions include a temperature of
about 290.degree. C. (550.degree. F.) to about 455.degree. C.
(850.degree. F.), a pressure of about 3.4 MPa (500 psig) to about
26.7 MPa (4,000 psig), a liquid hourly space velocity of about 0.5
hr-1 to about 4 hr-1, and a hydrogen rate of about 168 to about
1,011 Nm3/m3 oil (1,000-6,000 scf/bbl). Typical hydrotreating
catalysts include at least one Group VIII metal, preferably iron,
cobalt and nickel, and at least one Group VI metal, preferably
molybdenum and tungsten, on a high surface area support material,
preferably alumina. Other typical hydrotreating catalysts include
zeolitic catalysts, as well as noble metal catalysts where the
noble metal is selected from palladium and platinum.
[0022] Suitable hydrocarbon conversion zones include, but are not
limited to, hydrotreating zones, hydrocracking zones, fluid
catalytic cracking zones, alkylation zones, transalkylation zones,
oxidation zones, and hydrogenation zones. Example hydrotreating
processes are described above.
[0023] Hydrocracking is a process in which hydrocarbons crack in
the presence of hydrogen to lower molecular weight hydrocarbons.
Typical hydrocracking conditions may include a temperature of about
290.degree. C. (550.degree. F.) to about 468.degree. C.
(875.degree. F.), a pressure of about 3.5 MPa (500 psig) to about
20.7 MPa (3,000 psig), a liquid hourly space velocity (LHSV) of
about 1.0 to less than about 2.5 hr-1, and a hydrogen rate of about
421 to about 2,527 Nm3/m3 oil (2,500-15,000 scf/bbl). Typical
hydrocracking catalysts include amorphous silica-alumina bases or
low-level zeolite bases combined with one or more Group VIII or
Group VIB metal hydrogenating components, or a crystalline zeolite
cracking base upon which is deposited a Group VIII metal
hydrogenating component. Additional hydrogenating components may be
selected from Group VIB for incorporation with the zeolite
base.
[0024] Fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) is a catalytic hydrocarbon
conversion process accomplished by contacting heavier hydrocarbons
in a fluidized reaction zone with a catalytic particulate material.
The reaction in catalytic cracking is carried out in the absence of
substantial added hydrogen or the consumption of hydrogen. The
process typically employs a powdered catalyst having the particles
suspended in a rising flow of feed hydrocarbons to form a fluidized
bed. In representative processes, cracking takes place in a riser,
which is a vertical or upward sloped pipe. Typically, a pre-heated
feed is sprayed into the base of the riser via feed nozzles where
it contacts hot fluidized catalyst and is vaporized on contact with
the catalyst, and the cracking occurs converting the high molecular
weight oil into lighter components including liquefied petroleum
gas (LPG), gasoline, and a distillate. The catalyst-feed mixture
flows upward through the riser for a short period (a few seconds),
and then the mixture is separated in cyclones. The hydrocarbons are
directed to a fractionator for separation into LPG, gasoline,
diesel, kerosene, jet fuel, and other possible fractions. While
going through the riser, the cracking catalyst is deactivated
because the process is accompanied by formation of coke which
deposits on the catalyst particles. Contaminated catalyst is
separated from the cracked hydrocarbon vapors and is further
treated with steam to remove hydrocarbon remaining in the pores of
the catalyst. The catalyst is then directed into a regenerator
where the coke is burned off the surface of the catalyst particles,
thus restoring the catalyst's activity and providing the necessary
heat for the next reaction cycle. The process of cracking is
endothermic. The regenerated catalyst is then used in the new
cycle. Typical FCC conditions include a temperature of about
400.degree. C. to about 800.degree. C., a pressure of about 0 to
about 688 kPag (about 0 to 100 psig), and contact times of about
0.1 seconds to about 1 hour. The conditions are determined based on
the hydrocarbon feedstock being cracked, and the cracked products
desired. Zeolite-based catalysts are commonly used in FCC reactors,
as are composite catalysts which contain zeolites, silica-aluminas,
alumina, and other binders.
[0025] Alkylation is typically used to combine light olefins, for
example mixtures of alkenes such as propylene and butylene, with
isobutane to produce a relatively high-octane branched-chain
paraffinic hydrocarbon fuel, including isoheptane and isooctane.
Similarly, an alkylation reaction can be performed using an
aromatic compound such as benzene in place of the isobutane. When
using benzene, the product resulting from the alkylation reaction
is an alkylbenzene (e.g. toluene, xylenes, ethylbenzene, etc.). For
isobutane alkylation, typically, the reactants are mixed in the
presence of a strong acid catalyst, such as sulfuric acid or
hydrofluoric acid. The alkylation reaction is carried out at mild
temperatures, and is typically a two-phase reaction. Because the
reaction is exothermic, cooling is needed. Depending on the
catalyst used, normal refinery cooling water provides sufficient
cooling. Alternatively, a chilled cooling medium can be provided to
cool the reaction. Aromatic alkylation is generally now conducted
with solid acid catalysts including zeolites or amorphous
silica-aluminas.
[0026] The alkylation reaction zone is maintained at a pressure
sufficient to maintain the reactants in liquid phase. For a
hydrofluoric acid catalyst, a general range of operating pressures
is from about 200 to about 7,100 kPa absolute. The temperature
range covered by this set of conditions is from about -20.degree.
C. to about 200.degree. C. For at least alkylation of aromatic
compounds, the temperature range is about from 100.degree. C. to
200.degree. C. at the pressure range of about 200 to about 7100
kPa.
[0027] Transalkylation is a chemical reaction resulting in transfer
of an alkyl group from one organic compound to another. Catalysts,
particularly zeolite catalysts, are often used to effect the
reaction. If desired, the transalkylation catalyst may be metal
stabilized using a noble metal or base metal, and may contain
suitable binder or matrix material such as inorganic oxides and
other suitable materials. In a transalkylation process, a
polyalkylaromatic hydrocarbon feed and an aromatic hydrocarbon feed
are provided to a transalkylation reaction zone. The feed is
usually heated to reaction temperature and then passed through a
reaction zone, which may comprise one or more individual reactors.
Passage of the combined feed through the reaction zone produces an
effluent stream comprising unconverted feed and product
monoalkylated hydrocarbons. This effluent is normally cooled and
passed to a stripping column in which substantially all C5 and
lighter hydrocarbons present in the effluent are concentrated into
an overhead stream and removed from the process. An aromatics-rich
stream is recovered as net stripper bottoms, which is referred to
as the transalkylation effluent.
[0028] The transalkylation reaction can be effected in contact with
a catalytic composite in any conventional or otherwise convenient
manner and may comprise a batch or continuous type of operation,
with a continuous operation being preferred. The transalkylation
catalyst is usefully disposed as a fixed bed in a reaction zone of
a vertical tubular reactor, with the alkylaromatic feed stock
charged through the bed in an upflow or downflow manner. The
transalkylation zone normally operates at conditions including a
temperature in the range of about 130.degree. C. to about
540.degree. C. The transalkylation zone is typically operated at
moderately elevated pressures broadly ranging from about 100 kPa to
about 10 MPa absolute. The transalkylation reaction can be effected
over a wide range of space velocities. That is, volume of charge
per volume of catalyst per hour; weight hourly space velocity
(WHSV) generally is in the range of from about 0.1 to about 30
hr.sup.-1. The catalyst is typically selected to have relatively
high stability at a high activity level.
[0029] Oxidation involves the oxidation of hydrocarbons to
oxygen-containing compounds, such as alcohols, aldehydes, ketones,
carboxylic acids and epoxides. The hydrocarbons include alkanes,
alkenes, typically with carbon numbers from 2 to 15, and alkyl
aromatics, Linear, branched, and cyclic alkanes and alkenes can be
used. Oxygenates that are not fully oxidized to ketones or
carboxylic acids can also be subjected to oxidation processes, as
well as sulfur compounds that contain --S--H moieties, thiophene
rings, and sulfone groups. The process is carried out by placing an
oxidation catalyst in a reaction zone and contacting the feed
stream which contains the desired hydrocarbons with the catalyst in
the presence of oxygen. The type of reactor which can be used is
any type well known in the art such as fixed-bed, moving-bed,
multi-tube, CSTR, fluidized bed, etc. The feed stream can be flowed
over the catalyst bed either up-flow or down-flow in the liquid,
vapor, or mixed phase. In the case of a fluidized-bed, the feed
stream can be flowed co-current or counter-current. In a CSTR the
feed stream can be continuously added or added batch-wise. The feed
stream contains the desired oxidizable species along with oxygen.
Oxygen can be introduced either as pure oxygen or as air, or as
liquid phase oxidants including hydrogen peroxide, organic
peroxides, or peroxy-acids. The molar ratio of oxygen (O.sub.2) to
alkane can range from about 5:1 to about 1:10. In addition to
oxygen and alkane or alkene, the feed stream can also contain a
diluent gas selected form nitrogen, neon, argon, helium, carbon
dioxide, steam or mixtures thereof. As stated, the oxygen can be
added as air which could also provide a diluent. The molar ratio of
diluent gas to oxygen ranges from greater than zero to about 10:1.
The catalyst and feed stream are reacted at oxidation conditions
which include a temperature of about 100.degree. C. to about
600.degree. C., a pressure of about 101 kPa to about 5,066 kPa and
a gas hourly space velocity of about 100 to about 100,000 hr-1.
[0030] An additional hydrogenation process can be provided in a
hydrogen-containing compound with ready available hydrogen, such as
tetralin, alcohols, hydrogenated naphthalenes, and others via a
transfer hydrogenation process with or without a catalyst. The
hydrogenatable hydrocarbon compounds are introduced into a
hydrogenation zone and contacted with a hydrogen-rich gaseous phase
and a hydrogenation catalyst in order to hydrogenate at least a
portion of the hydrogenatable hydrocarbon compounds. The catalytic
hydrogenation zone may contain a fixed, ebulated or fluidized
catalyst bed. This reaction zone is typically at a pressure from
about 689 kPag (100 psig) to about 13,790 kPag (2,000 psig) with a
maximum catalyst bed temperature in the range of about 177.degree.
C. (350.degree. F.) to about 454.degree. C. (850.degree. F.). The
liquid hourly space velocity is typically in the range from about
0.2 hr.sup.-1 to about 10 hr.sup.-1 and hydrogen circulation rates
from about 200 standard cubic feet per barrel (SCFB) (35.6
m.sup.3/m.sup.3) to about 10,000 SCFB (1,778 m.sup.3/m.sup.3).
[0031] While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented
in the foregoing detailed description of the invention, it should
be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should
also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary
embodiments are only examples, and are not intended to limit the
scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention in any way.
Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those
skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing an
exemplary embodiment of the invention. It being understood that
various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of
elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing
from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended
claims.
* * * * *