Abstract: Provided are a method for producing a super-low sulfur gas oil blending component or a super-low sulfur gas oil composition having a sulfur content of less than 5 mass ppm, under relatively mild conditions, without greatly increasing the hydrogen consumption and without remarkably decreasing the aromatic content; and a super-low sulfur gas oil composition having a sulfur content of less than 5 mass ppm which exhibits a high heating value, is excellent in fuel economy and output power, and is free from an adverse effect on a sealing rubber member or the like used in the fuel injection system and thus does not cause the leakage of a fuel. A method for producing a super-low sulfur gas oil blending component or a super-low sulfur gas oil composition having a sulfur content of less than 5 mass ppm is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for producing a hydrorefining catalyst of the present invention has a step of preparing an aluminum solution containing phosphorus in a molar ratio of 0.001 to 0.05 with respect to aluminum; a step of neutralizing the prepared aluminum solution to produce a pseudo-boehmite powder; a step of forming the pseudo-boehmite powder followed by performing calcination at a temperature of not less than 650° C. to obtain a carrier; and a step of carrying a hydrogenation-active metal on the pseudo-boehmite powder or the carrier. The dispersion of the concentration distribution of phosphorus in the carrier of the obtained catalyst is within 10%. This method makes it possible to obtain the hydrorefining catalyst which has a practically sufficient mechanical strength and which has an excellent activity.

Abstract: This invention relates to lubricant base oil having high viscosity indexes and low pour points, and particularly to lubricant base oil consisting essentially of a normal paraffin and an isoparaffin, wherein (a) an average carbon number Nc in one molecule is not less than 28 but not more than 40, and (b) an average branch number Nb in one molecule calculated from a ratio of CH3 carbon to total carbon determined by 13C-NMR analysis and the average carbon number Nc in one molecule is not more than (0.2Nc?3.1) but not less than 1.5.

Abstract: It is an object of this invention to provide a method for producing an ester by a transesterification reaction in which the reaction can be stably performed in a short time at a pressure approximately equal to normal pressure. The ester is produced by a transesterification reaction in which a starting material ester and an alcohol are brought into contact with a solid acid catalyst that displays the characteristics of a very strong acid in terms of the absolute value of argon adsorption heat ranging from 15 to 22 kJ/mol. In particular, it is preferable that the starting material ester in a liquid phase and alcohol in a vapor phase be brought into contact with the solid acid catalyst, and that the starting material ester be oil or fat, and the alcohol be methanol or ethanol.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery prepared from a carbon material obtained from inexpensive petroleum heavy oil, having a high capacity, and excelling in high-temperature cyclability, the carbon material, and a precursor for the carbon material can be provided. The precursor for the carbon material is obtained from certain petroleum heavy oil by holding the petroleum heavy oil under a pressure of 2.0 MPa or less at a temperature of 400-600° C. for three hours or more. The carbon material is treating the precursor with heat at 800-1,500° C. The nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery is obtained by using, as a negative electrode active material, a carbon material obtained by further oxidizing said carbon material at 200-1,000° C. in nitrogen, argon, or a mixture thereof containing an oxidizing gas, or in the atmospheric air.

Abstract: A method for producing a ketone, particularly a macrocyclic ketone, from a 2-hydroxycycloalkanone having from 12 to 18 carbon atoms by efficiently dehydrating and reducing the acyloin in a single reaction vessel. A method for producing a ketone compound, which comprises dehydrating and reducing an acyloin in the coexistence of an acid catalyst and a reduction catalyst and in the presence of hydrogen, particularly using a 2-hydroxycycloalkanone having from 12 to 18 carbon atoms as the acyloin.

Abstract: The present invention provides a concentration distribution for a platinum group metal component in a catalyst with which catalyst activity can be increased, and to provide a method for supporting a platinum group metal with which this concentration distribution can be achieved. The present invention is a solid acid catalyst that is made up of porous catalyst pellets exhibiting solid acid characteristics, and a platinum group metal component supported by these catalyst pellets, and that is used in an acid-catalyzed reaction, in which a quotient of dividing the standard deviation of the concentration in a platinum group metal component concentration distribution in the catalyst by an average concentration is 0.4 or less. The method for preparing this catalyst involves a step of preparing a support solution containing a platinum group metal as a cation, and a step of impregnating crystalline, porous catalyst pellets exhibiting solid acid characteristics with this support solution.

Abstract: A unit for hydrorefining of hydrocarbon crude oil comprising sulfur-containing compounds comprises first catalyst layer 33 and second catalyst layer 38, top space 34 for separating vapor component and liquid component, bottom space 36, and valve tray 35 that divides top space 34 and bottom space 36. Hydrogen released from hydrogen nozzle 40 placed in the bottom space is passed through liquid component that has accumulated in the valve tray and stripping of liquid components is performed. Hydrogen released from hydrogen nozzle 40 is again introduced, to second catalyst layer 38 as a cocurrent with the stripped liquid component. By stripping, it is possible to reduce the sulfur content, the nitrogen content and reduce the aromatic content of the hydrocarbon crude oil when compared to the conventional method. Since the hydrorefining unit has a simple structure, the unit can be easily made by modifying existing units.

Abstract: A method for producing a hydrorefining catalyst is used to produce the hydrorefining catalyst which contains an inorganic oxide carrier and a hydrogenation-active metal and which has such a bimodal pore characteristic that pores having pore diameters of not more than 50 nm have a pore volume of not less than 0.4 cm3/g, pores having pore diameters of not less than 50 nm have a pore volume of not less than 0.2 cm3/g, and pores having pore diameters of not less than 1000 nm have a pore volume of not more than 0.1 cm3/g. The method comprises the steps of mixing and forming a pseudo-boehmite powder having a dispersibility index of 0.13 to 0.28, and calcinating the formed pseudo-boehmite under a condition in which the pseudo-boehmite is converted into ?-alumina. The hydrorefining catalyst, which has the bimodal pore characteristic, can be produced easily at low cost.

Abstract: A method for producing a hydrorefining catalyst has the steps of preparing an impregnation solution containing molybdenum, phosphorus, cobalt and/or nickel, and citric acid, bringing a carrier into contact with the impregnation solution, and then calcinating the carrier in an oxidizing atmosphere at a temperature at which citric acid is removed. In the impregnation solution, a molar ratio of molybdenum/phosphorus is 6 to 13, a molar ratio of (cobalt and nickel)/phosphorus is 0.5 to 7, and a molar ratio of (cobalt and nickel)/citric acid is 0.5 to 2. As for the hydrorefining catalyst obtained by this method, the activity of the catalyst is high, and the catalyst life is long.

Abstract: Disclosed is a rubber process oil in which the content of polycyclic aromatics (PCAs) as determined by the IP 346 method is less than 3% by mass and which is rich in aromatic hydrocarbons, and a method for producing the same. The aniline point of the rubber process oil is 80° C. or less, and the % CA value as determined by ring analysis according to the Kurtz method is from 20 to 50%. The rubber process oil is produced by using extraction of lube oil fraction with a solvent having a selective affinity for aromatics. The extraction conditions are determined so that the extraction yield is regulated to a predetermined requirement defined by the PCAs content of the lube oil fraction. Alternatively, the extract is cooled to further separate into the extract and the raffinate, and the second raffinate is used for the rubber process oil.

Abstract: A lubricant for a refrigerator using ammonia as the refrigerant, which contains an additive selected from antioxidant, anti-wear additive and metal deactivator, and the polyether compound represented by the following general formula (1) or (2): X{—O—(AO)n—H}p??(1) X{—O—(AO1)a—(AO2)b—H}p??(2)

Abstract: Disclosed are a process of subjecting a diester of a long-chain dicarboxylic acid having 18 to 21 carbon atoms to intramolecular condensation in the presence of titanium tetrachloride or zirconium tetrachloride and a trialkylamine to form an ?-alkoxycarbonylated macrocyclic ketone, and a process for producing a macrocyclic ketone by hydrolyzing an ?-alkoxycarbonylated macrocyclic ketone obtained by the process and then subjecting the hydrolyzate to decarboxylation. The invention provides a process for producing a macrocyclic ketone efficiently, which permits high concentration synthesis.

Abstract: A heavy oil hydrorefining catalyst of the present invention is such that the total volume of pores with a diameter of 60 nm or less is at least 0.5 mL/g, and the pore diameter distribution has a broad band over a pore diameter range of 8 to 30 nm. The hydrorefining catalyst has excellent desulfurization characteristics and excellent demetalization characteristics, and its performance can be maintained over an extended period. When this catalyst is used in a hydrorefining apparatus equipped with a plurality of catalyst layers, the apparatus can be operated stably at a higher temperature than in the past without decreasing the desulfurization performance, and this also enhances the demetalization characteristics.

Abstract: An electro luminescence device comprises a compound semiconductor crystal substrate comprising a Group 12 (2B) element and a Group 16 (6B) element in a periodic table. It is produced by providing a substrate having a low dislocation density or a low inclusion density; forming a pn junction by thermally diffusing an element converting the substrate of a first conduction type into the one of a second conduction type from a front surface of the substrate; and forming electrodes on front and rear of the substrate. A diffusion source including an element converting the substrate of a first conduction type into the one of a second conduction type is disposed on the front surface of the substrate, preventing forming of a defect compensating an impurity level which is formed in the substrate by the element during a diffusion process, and gettering impurity on the front surface of the substrate by the diffusion source.

Abstract: A hydrorefining catalyst of a hydrogenation active metal component supported on a refractory porous carrier has a median pore diameter determined by the nitrogen adsorption method of 8 to 20 nm, a pore volume determined by the nitrogen adsorption method of 0.56 cm3/g or greater, and a pore volume of pores with a pore diameter of 50 nm or larger determined by the mercury intrusion porosimetry method of 0.32 cm3/g or greater. Both the demetallizing activity and metal deposition capacity of the catalyst in hydrogenation and demetallizing of heavy oil are high. The hydrorefining catalyst is obtained by kneading a porous starting powder principally composed of &ggr;-alumina and having a pore capacity of 0.75 m3/g or larger and a mean pore diameter of 10 to 200 &mgr;m, molding and calcining, and supporting an active metal component on the product.

Abstract: A method for producing a ketone, particularly a macrocyclic ketone, from a 2-hydroxycycloalkanone having from 12 to 18 carbon atoms by efficiently dehydrating and reducing the acyloin in a single reaction vessel. A method for producing a ketone compound, which comprises dehydrating and reducing an acyloin in the coexistence of an acid catalyst and a reduction catalyst and in the presence of hydrogen, particularly using a 2-hydroxycycloalkanone having from 12 to 18 carbon atoms as the acyloin.

Abstract: A hydrorefining catalyst containing a metal belonging to group VIB of the Periodic Table and phosphorus is made by bringing the supporting liquid into contact with a porous carrier formed of inorganic oxide. The supporting liquid is an aqueous solution of a metal belonging to group VIB of the Periodic Table, a phosphorus compound, a hydroxycarboxylic acid, and hydrogen peroxide added to water. Thee hydroxycarboxylic acid content of the supporting liquid is such that molar ratio of group VIB metal:hydroxycarboxylic acid is 1:0.05 to 1:1 and the hydrogen peroxide content of the supporting liquid is such that molar ratio of group VIB metal:hydrogen peroxide is 1:0.03 to 1:1. The catalyst made with the supporting liquid has excellent desulfurization activity.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of estimating the outflow amount for each component of the effluent of a coal liquefying reactor consisting of vessel type reactors (16a, 16b, 16c) operated under a high temperature and a high pressure. The outflow amount for each component of the effluent is assumed, and the gas-liquid equilibrium composition of the mixture of the composition within the reaction vessel is calculated. Further, the volume flow rates of the gaseous phase and the liquid phase within the reaction vessel are calculated, and the residence time (&tgr;1G, &tgr;2G, &tgr;3G), (&tgr;1S, &tgr;2S, &tgr;3S) of each of the gaseous phase and the liquid phase is calculated on the basis of the gas hold-up within the reaction vessel calculated on the basis of the volume flow rate and the empirical formula. The outflow amount for each component of the effluent is calculated on the basis of the residence time (&tgr;1, &tgr;, . . .

Abstract: The two-stage hydrocracking process of the present invention comprises bringing the first-stage feed oil containing a hydrocarbon component and having a boiling point of 316° C. or higher into contact with the first-stage catalyst in the presence of hydrogen to obtain a first-stage product; separating the first-stage product into heavy component and light component containing the middle distillate products; bringing the second-stage feed oil containing heavy component of the first-stage reaction product into contact with the second-stage catalyst in the presence of hydrogen to obtain the second-stage product; separating the second-stage product into heavy component and light component comprising middle distillate products and recycling part of the heavy component of the second-stage product to the second-stage feed oil. Hydrocracking activity of the first-stage catalyst is higher than hydrocracking activity of the second-stage catalyst.