Abstract: An asphaltene-containing oil hydrodesulfurization process employing a guard reactor and a main reactor in series, with the diameter of the guard reactor being smaller than the diameter of the main reactor. The catalyst in the guard reactor comprises particles of supported Group VI and Group VIII metals in the form of elongated extrudates whose surface is provided with a plurality of alternating longitudinal grooves and protrusions. An advantageous mass velocity-related activity effect is demonstrated when catalyst particles having this shape are disposed in a guard reactor having a smaller diameter than the diameter of the main reactor with which it is associated.

Abstract: An asphaltene-containing oil hydrodesulfurization process employing an upstream catalyst and a downstream catalyst in series. The downstream catalyst comprises supported Group VI and Group VIII metals together with a promoting amount of Group IV-B metal in the form of particles whose surface is shaped by multiple elongated alternating grooves and protrusions. The upstream catalyst comprises Group VI and Group VIII metals without promotion with Group IV-B metal in the form of particles which may or may not be similarly shaped. Beds of the downstream and upstream catalyst may be diposed in the same or in different reactors. The adaptation of the grooved particle configuration to the promoted catalyst composition provided the early development of a plateau-like aging curve which was not achieved by the adaptation of the grooved shape to a non-promoted catalyst.

Abstract: A catalytic asphaltene-containing oil hydrodesulfurization process employing a fixed catalyst bed comprising particles of supported Group VI and Group VIII metals, preferably together with a separate and downstream fixed catalyst bed comprising particles of Group VI and Group VIII metals together with a promoting amount of Group IV-B metal. The catalyst particles in both beds are in the form of elongated extrudates whose surface is provided with a plurality of alternating longitudinal grooves and protrusions. An advantageous mass velocity-related catalyst activity effect is achieved by recycling a portion of the desulfurized liquid product.

Abstract: An asphaltene-containing oil hydrodesulfurization process employing upstream and downstream reactors in series with an interstage flashing step. The catalyst in the downstream reactor comprises supported Group VI and Group VIII metals together with a promoting amount of Group IV-B metal. The particles of the catalyst in the downstream reactor are in the form of extrudates whose surface is provided with a plurality of alternating longitudinal grooves and protrusions. The catalyst in the upstream reactor comprises Group VI and Group VIII metals without promotion with Group IV-B metal and is in the form of particles whose surface may or may not have a similar grooved form. An advantageous mass velocity-related activity effect has been found when the downstream reactor has a diameter which is smaller than the diameter of the upstream reactor.

Abstract: A process for thermal cracking of petroleum light gas oil to produce a product including ethylene comprising passing said oil, a diluent gas and entrained hot solids through a cracking zone at a temperature between 1,300.degree. and 2,500.degree. F. at a relatively high cracking severity corresponding to a methane yield of at least 12 weight percent based on hydrocarbon feed oil and with a weight ratio of diluent gas to feed oil of at least 0.3. A naphtha feedstock can be separately cracked at a lower severity using a lower weight ratio of diluent gas to feed oil, with the inert solids from both cracking zones being sent to a common burner whose fuel comprises heavy oil product from both cracking zones.

Abstract: In a thermal cracking process employing inert hot solids as a heat source, the cracker effluent solids are passed to a burner for combustion of deposited and entrained coke. The liquid product of the thermal cracking process is distilled and the liquid residue comprises a low value solids-containing slurry which is used as a torch oil in the coke burner. The liquid residue from a catalytic cracking process also comprises a low value slurry since it contains particles of cracking catalyst and in the present process is used as auxiliary torch oil in the solids burner. The catalyst particles are rendered inert at the high temperature of the burner, thereby enhancing the quantity of inert solids circulating in the thermal cracking process. The use of a second slurry as torch oil reduces the quantity of thermally cracked liquid residue required as torch oil and enhances the quantity of more valuable solids-free distillate liquid recoverable from the thermal cracking process.

Abstract: A process for the non-catalytic riser cracking of shale oil to produce ethylene in the presence of entrained hot, inert solids.

Abstract: A process for the production of ethylene by the non-catalytic riser cracking of hydrodesulfurized residual petroleum oils in the presence of entrained hot, inert solids.