GB631258A - Improvements in or relating to the utilisation of fuel gas containing low purity hydrogen in the catalytic refining of petroleum hydrocarbons - Google Patents

Abstract

Petroleum and like hydrocarbons are refined, to free them from sulphur, peroxides and unsaturated compounds such as diolefins, by contacting them with a fuel gas containing low purity hydrogen at 200-800 DEG F. in the presence of a catalyst comprising 0.1-10 per cent by weight of the total catalyst of platinum or palladium incorporated with a hydrous oxide carrier having ultramicroscopic pores. Hydrocarbon fractions derived from petroleum or equivalent sources such as the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process and hydrocarbon fractions obtained by processing treatments such as thermal or catalytic cracking may be subjected to the refining treatment. The treatment is particularly suitable for application to naphtha fractions boiling in the gasoline range. Suitable fuel gases are manufactured town gas, coal gas, water gas, blue water gas, coke oven gas, carburetted water gas and natural gas. The hydrous oxide catalyst carrier may be hydrated alumina or silica gel. Pelleted catalyst may be used in a fixed bed operation or catalyst granules may be employed with a fluid or moving catalyst technique. Elevated pressures may be employed. In an example a heavy naphtha, obtained by cracking a petroleum distillate boiling in the gas oil range in the presence of a fluidized silica alumina gel catalyst, is passed together with town gas over pellets of hydrated alumina containing 2 per cent finely-divided platinum. Preparation of catalyst.-Platinum or palladium may be incorporated with the hydrous oxide carrier, (1) by impregnation of the carrier with a salt such as ammonium chloroplatinate or chloroplatinous acid, followed by slow drying and formation of the metal by heat decomposition; or (2) by mulling the carrier in powdered form with particles of the metal, for example, platinum black, followed by wet extruding or pilling and drying.