GB491312A - A process for the production of low-boiling oils from higher-boiling oils - Google Patents

Abstract

Oils are converted into products of low boiling point by treatment in the vapour phase with steam, water gas or other gases containing oxygen at temperatures above 350 DEG C. and pressures up to 20 atmos. in presence of mixed catalysts which contain at least one oxidizing constituent comprising magnesium, calcium, zinc or oxides or phosphates of these metals or of iron, at least one hydrogenating constituent comprising aluminium, tin, vanadium, molybdenum, tungsten, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, or sulphides of these metals or of zinc, and carbon as a catalyst activator. Additional catalysts which exert a cracking action, e.g. aluminium oxide or molybdenum oxide; a polymerizing action, e.g. organic and inorganic halides or lead; a condensing action, e.g. gaseous halogen compounds, may also be used. The catalysts may be pretreated with air. The materials undergoing reaction may be indirectly heated by heat exchange with the products of the reaction which latter have been further heated directly or indirectly by a separately heated agent, e.g. steam. The initial materials comprise petroleum tars and their distillation, cracking and hydrogenation products and oils derived from coal, shale, peat, wood, bitumen, humin substances, lignin, &c., by distillation, cracking or hydrogenation. Heavy oils are preferably pretreated in the liquid phase and then subjected to the vapour-phase treatment which is preferably commenced at high temperatures, e.g. 450 DEG C., and completed at lower temperatures, e.g. 350 DEG C. The reaction temperature may be controlled by the introduction of ammonia or ammonia salts. Eddesser petroleum is cracked at 450 DEG C. in presence of molybdic acid and steam under 100 atmos. pressure and passed into a separator from which liquid fractions are re-cycled. The products in the gaseous state are treated at 500-550 DEG C. with 1 kg. steam at about 20 atmos. in the presence of 40 parts magnesium oxide, 40 parts molybdenum oxide and 20 parts carbon, 0,9 kg. gasoline boiling up to 180 DEG C. being obtained.