Appeal No. 2006-1551
Application No. 10/015,863
combined stream to hydrodesulfurization in a second
hydrodesulfurization reactor. Further details of this appealed
subject matter are set forth in representative independent claim
11 which reads as follows:
11. A process for reducing the organic sulfur
content of a full boiling range cracked naphtha stream
containing olefins, diolefins, mercaptans, thiophenes, and
other organic sulfur compounds, comprising the steps of:
(a) separating the full boiling range cracked naphtha
stream into three fractions comprising a light cracked
naphtha fraction boiling in the range of C to about 150 F,o
5
an intermediate cracked naphtha fraction boiling in the
range of about 150 to about 250 F and a heavy crackedo
naphtha boiling in the range of about 250 to 450 F;o
(b) subjecting the heavy cracked naphtha to
hydrodesulfurization in a first hydrodesulfurization reactor
containing a hydrodesulfurization catalyst;
(c) combining the effluent from the first
hydrodesulfurization reactor with the intermediate cracked
naphtha and subjecting the combined stream to
hydrodesulfurization in a second hydrodesulfurization
reactor and
(d) subjecting said light cracked naphtha to a wet
caustic wash after said fractionation wherein substantially
all of the mercaptans contained therein are converted to
sulfides.
The reference set forth below is relied upon by the examiner
as evidence of obviousness:
Fletcher et al. (Fletcher) 5,290,427 Mar. 1, 1994
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