Appeal 2006-2691
Application 09/942,830
According to Appellants, the invention is directed to an ultra-deep
hydrodesulfurization (HDS) process for reducing the sulfur content in a
hydrocarbon feedstock from 150 to 500 ppm to a final sulfur content of less
than about 50 ppm by contacting the feedstock with a specified catalyst and
sulfur-containing organic additive at certain process conditions (Br. 3-4).
Independent claim 1 is illustrative of the invention and is reproduced below:
1. An ultra-deep hydrodesulfurization process for reducing the
content of sulfur compounds comprising alkylated benzothiophenes in a
hydrocarbon feedstock having an initial boiling point of not less than about
1000e and a 95% boiling point of about 4500e or less and a sulfur content
between about 150 ppm and about 500 ppm to a sulfur content of less them
[sic, than] about 50 ppm, comprising contacting said feedstock with a
catalyst comprising a Group VIB metal component, a Group VIII metal
component selected from the group consisting of nickel, cobalt and iron, and
an S-containing organic additive comprising a mercaptocarboxylic acid
represented by the general formula HS-R1-COOR, wherein R1 stands for a
divalent hydrocarbon group with 1 to about 10 carbon atoms and R stands
for a hydrogen atom, an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, ammonium, or
a linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to about 10 carbon atoms, at a
temperature from about 200 to about 450ºC, a hydrogen partial pressure
from about 5 to about 200 bar, a liquid hourly space velocity from about 0.1
to about 10 vol./vol.h and an H2/oil ratio from about 50 to about 2000 N1/1,
thereby decomposing said sulfur compounds.
The Examiner has relied upon the following references as evidence of
obviousness:
Takahashi (EP ‘211) EP 0 289 211 Nov. 02, 1988
Takahashi US 4,845,068 Jul. 04, 1989
Takahashi (EP ‘295) EP 0 357 295 Mar. 07, 1990
Hatanaka US 6,251,263 B1 Jun. 26, 2001
2
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next
Last modified: September 9, 2013