An aromatic gasoline component is prepared in a multi-step petroleum refining process starting with a heavy carbometallic petroleum fraction which is catalytically cracked to yield a light catalytic cycle oil which, in turn, is mildly hydrogenated to produce a partially saturated bicyclic hydrocarbon fraction which itself is catalytically cracked to yield a monoaromatic hydrocarbon fraction from which is recovered a gasoline product. The bicyclic hydrocarbons are converted to monoaromatics by selective partial saturation and ring scission.

Process for the production of aromatic fuel

The processing of light cycle oil (LCO) for diesel fuel production by the hydrotreating (HDT) process is under general re-evaluation because of current stringent environmental regulations. The low-quality of LCO with high sulfur and nitrogen, and a high percentage of diaromatic hydrocarbons, limits the possible upgrading alternatives. A HDT step, involving hydrodesulfurization, hydrodenitrogenation, and partial hydrodearomatization, is combined with a hydrocracking (HYC) step for producing (1) high-quality fuels (high-octane gasoline and ultralow sulfur diesel) and a (2) benzene, toluene, and xylenes (BTX) enriched fraction. In this review studies regarding the HDT-HYC process for producing such products from real feedstocks are considered, with the aim to provide the state of the art developments for LCO upgrading.

Light Cycle Oil Upgrading to High Quality Fuels and Petrochemicals: A Review

Bimetallic catalyst precursors are manufactured from a plurality of molybdenum atoms and a plurality of atoms of a secondary transition metal (e.g., one or more of cobalt, iron, or nickel). The molybdenum atoms and the secondary transition metal atoms are each bonded with a plurality of organic anions (e.g., 2-ethyl hexanoate) to form a mixture of an oil-soluble molybdenum salt and an oil-soluble secondary transition metal salt. The molybdenum and/or the secondary transition metals are preferably reacted with the organic agent in the presence of a strong reducing agent such as hydrogen. To obtain this mixture of metal salts, an organic agent is reacted with the molybdenum at a temperature between about 1000C and about 3500C. The secondary transition metal is reacted with the organic agent at a different temperature, preferably between 500C and 2000C. The metal salts are capable of forming a hydroprocessing metal sulfide catalyst in heavy oil feedstocks.

Hydrocarbon-soluble, bimetallic catalyst precursors and methods for making same

Hydrocarbon-soluble molybdenum catalyst precursors include a plurality of molybdenum cations that are each bonded with a plurality of organic anions to form an oil soluble molybdenum salt. A portion of the molybdenum atoms are in the 3+ oxidation state such that the plurality of molybdenum atoms has an average oxidation state of less than 4+, e.g., less than about 3.8+, especially less than about 3.5+. The catalyst precursors can form a hydroprocessing molybdenum sulfide catalyst in heavy oil feedstocks. The oil soluble molybdenum salts are manufactured in the presence of a reducing agent, such as hydrogen gas, to obtain the molybdenum in the desired oxidation state. Preferably the reaction is performed with hydrogen or an organic reducing agent and at a temperature such that the molybdenum atoms are reduced to eliminate substantially all molybdenum oxide species.

Hydrocarbon-soluble molybdenum catalyst precursors and methods of making same

A process for the production of high octane gasoline, or high octane gasoline blending components from a sulfur and nitrogen-containing feed composition of wide boiling range rich in fused multi-ring aromatic hydrocarbons containing two, and three or more rings in the molecule. The feed is first hydrogenated to desulfurize, denitrogenate and saturate one ring of the two-ring molecular species, but insufficient to saturate the second ring of said molecular species. The product, as a feed, is then hydrocracked to crack fused multi-ring aromatic hydrocarbons containing three or more rings to the molecule, and to produce lower molecular weight, lower boiling components. The product of the hydrocracker is then split into blends which include (i) a blend rich in fused two-ring aromatic hydrocarbons and (ii) a blend rich in fused multi-ring aromatic hydrocarbons containing three or more rings to the molecule. Blend (i) is selectively hydrogenated and cracked over a catalyst comprised of elemental iron and one or more alkali or alkaline-earth metals to produce gasoline or gasoline blending components, and blend (ii) is hydrocracked to produce gasoline or gasoline blending components.

Process for the production of ultra high octane gasoline, and other fuels from aromatic hydrocrackates

A light gas oil, consisting predominantly of alkylated naphthalenes plus minor amounts of thiophene, quinoline, indan, and related naphthalene type carbonaceous compounds, derived from the liquid by-product from olefin production by pyrolysis in steam of a hydrocarbon fraction, is converted to mononuclear aromatic hydrocarbons by a two stage process in which said naphthalene type carbonaceous compounds are first hydrogenated at tetralinizing conditions saturating only one of the two aromatic rings of the feedstock. Said first stage hydrogenation also hydrodesulfurizes and hydrodecontaminates said feedstock. The tetralanized desulfurized normally liquid effluent from the first stage hydrogenation is hydrocracked in the second stage, said hydrocracking being in the presence of a catalyst featuring a stabilizing metal component on an acid-modified mordenite having a silica to alumina unit mol ratio within the range from 15 to 70 as a result of acid leaching of mordenite.

Patrick Walter Ryan

Papers

Production of monoaromatics from light pyrolysis fuel oil