US1878580A - Process of treating cracked hydrocarbons - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 20, 1932. T. T. GRAY 1,878,580

PROCESS OF TREATING CRACKED HYDROCARBONS Filed Jan. 10. 1927 FRACT/O/VATO/P avwcnfo:

Patented Sept. 20, 1932 UNITED sr'ras PATENT OFFI THOMAS T. GRAY, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE GRAY PROCESSES CORPORATION, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE PROCESS OF TREATING CRACKED HYDROCARBON S Application filed January 10, 1927. Serial No. 160,065.

urated hydrocarbons which comprises passing the distillate in vapor form through a catalytic agent such as fullers earth to' convert the unsaturated constituents by polymerization into compounds of higher boiling point which-may be separated from the vaporized saturated hydrocarbons.

According to the present invention, advantage is taken of the fact that in the cracking of petroleum oils free hydrogen is produced. The desired portion of the distillate of the cracking operation which includes unsaturated hydrocarbons and free hydrogen is brought into contact with a catalytic material such, for example, as fullers earth coated or impregnated with a metallic hydrogenation catalyst, preferably nickel, or.

saturated hydrocarbons. It may be that the,

hydrogen content is insuflicient to saturate all the unsaturated hydrocarbons present and under thesecircumstances some of the unsaturated hydrocarbons which are not hydrogenated may be polymerized by contact with the fullers earth into compounds having higher boiling points than the temperature at which the hydrogenation operation is carried on. The saturated hydrocarbons pass ofi as vapors and are subsequently condensed. The polymers condensed in the catalyst are collected and refluxed to the still for redistillation. This method of treating cracked distillate produces a-higher yield of the desired product than heretofore, as the hydrogenation reduces materially the volume of the unsaturated hydrocarbons converted into polymers and increases the volume of the saturated hydrocarbon compounds discharged from the catalyst.

Other objects, novel features and advantages of-the invention will be apparent from the following specification and accompanying drawing wherein the single figure illustrates diagrammatically an apparatus for treating hydrocarbons in accordance with the invention. 2

In the apparatus, 10 designates a cracking still which may be of any desired type. 11 is a fractionating device of any suitable type to which distillate in vapor form is led from the still by means of the pipe 12. A pipe 13 is provided for refluxing from the frac tionator 11 to the still 10 any condensate collecting in the fractionator. 14 is a treating tower torwhich vapor from the fractiona tor is supplied through the pipe 15 controlled by the valve 16. A perforated funnel-likev shelf 17 is arranged within the tower 14 and terminates in a discharge spout 18 extending through the bottomof the tower 14 and controlled by the valve 19. A pipe 20 leads from the treating tower 14 to a condenser 21 from which a pipe 22 leads to a storage tank 23; A reflux pipe 24 leads from the bottom of the treating tower 14 through a valve 25 and trap 26 to the inlet of a pump 27, the outlet of which communicates with the bottom of the fractionator- 11. This provides means for returning to the still 10 for redistillation any condensate collecting in the bottom of the tower 14.

Within the tower 14 is provided a supply 28 of a catalytic material, such, for example, as fullers earth, coated or impregnated with a metallic hydrogenation catalyst, preferably nickel, or a mixture thereof with fullers earth. This material is prevented fromesifting through the perforationsin the shelf 17 by layers of mineral woo screens, etc., ar-

distillate, which comprises free hydrogen and unsaturated hydrocarbons along with saturated hydrocarbons, is supplied to the frac tionator 11. After fractionation, the vapors are passed through the catalytic material in the tower 14, preferably at a temperature of between 150 to 225 C. when gasoline is being produced. At this temperature, the

hydrogen in the presence of the catalytic material combines with unsaturated hydrocarbons to form. saturated hydrocarbons which pass out through the pipe 20 in vapor form, along with the other saturated hydrocarbons.

The free'hydrogen may be sufficient to hydroperforations and are collected in the bot-' tom of the tower and refluxed to'the still for redistillation.

It is understood, of course, that if the process is carried on under super atmospheric pressure, which might be the case if the process is used in conjunction with a cracking system of the type in which the distillate is condensed under pressure, the temperatures may run higher to an extent depending upon the pressure.

A higher yield of the desired product than heretofore obtainable is obtainable by this process without additional cost except for the cost of metallizing the fuller's earth. The hydrogen produced by the cracking operation, and which formerly has been vented as an uncondensible gas, is utilized to convert into saturated hydrocarbon compounds a portion or all of the unsaturated hydrocarbon compounds which formerly were polymerized and refluxed for distillation. The volume of polymers refluxed is substantially decreased and the volume of saturated hydrocarbon compounds discharged from the catalyst in vapor form is correspondingly increased.

I claim:

1. The process which comprises cracking petroleum oil and subsequently subjecting the cracked product at approximately 200 C. and in vapor form undiluted by extraneous gases and mixed with free hydrogen produced solely in the cracking operation, to the action of fullers earth impregnated with a metallic hydrogenation catalyst.

0 2. The process which comprises cracking petroleum oil and subsequently subjecting the cracked product at approximately 200 C.

and in vapor form undiluted by extraneous gases and mixed with free hydrogen produced solely in the cracking operation, to the action of fullers earth-coated witha metallic hydrogen catalyst.

3. The process of producing gasoline which comprises cracking petroleum oil, fractionating the cracked product to separate the gasoline content and subsequently subjecting the hydrocarbons present ,to an extent depending upon the hydrogen content andpolymerizmg a part at least of the remaining hydrocarbons. I

4. The process which comprises cracking petroleum oil and subsequently subjecting the cracked product at approximately 200 C. and in vapor form undiluted by extraneous gases and mixed with free hydrogen pro duced solely in the cracking operation, to the action of fullers earth coated with nickel.

5. The process of producing gasoline which comprises cracking petroleum oil and subsequently subjecting the cracked gasoline at approximately 200 C. and in vapor form undiluted by extraneous gases and mixed with free hydrogen produced solely in the cracking operation, to the action of a mixture of fullers earth and fullers earth coated with nickel to hydrogenate the unsaturated hydr0- .carbons to an extent depending upon the hydrogen content and to polymerize part at least of the remaining unsaturated hydrocarbons. A y

6. The process of producing gasoline which comprises cracking petroleum oil, fractionating the cracked productto separate gasoline from the remainder and subsequently subj ectin the cracked gasoline at approximately 200 traneous gases and mixed with free hydrogen produced solely in the cracking operation, to the action of fullersearth coated with a metallic hydrogenation catalyst.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

- THOMAS -T. GRAY.

6. and in vapor form undiluted by ex-

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