US 4,299,687 AGranted

Carbo-metallic oil conversion with controlled CO:CO.sub.2 ratio in regeneration

AssigneeAshland Oil, Inc.

InventorsGeorge D. Myers, Lloyd E. Busch

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Abstract

A process is disclosed for the production of high octane gasoline and/or other valuable lower molecular weight products from carbo-metallic oils. Examples include crude oil, topped crude, reduced crude, residua, the extract from solvent de-asphalting and other heavy hydrocarbon fractions. These carbo-metallic oils contain quantities of coke precursors and heavy metal catalyst poisons substantially in excess of what is normally considered acceptable for FCC processing (fluid catalytic cracking) and substantial amounts of sulfur, nitrogen, and other troublesome components may also be present. Such carbo-metallic oils are converted to the desired products in a catalytic conversion process. Named "RCC" (Reduced Crude Conversion) after a particularly common or useful carbo-metallic feed, the present process is by no means restricted to reduced crude or to oils of petroleum origin, having utility in the processing of oils from coal, shale and other sources.

Claims40

Dependent claims

A process for economically converting carbometallic oils to lighter products, comprising:

I. providing a converter feed containing 650.degree. F.+ material, said 650.degree. F.+ material being characterized by a carbon residue on pyrolysis of at least about 1 and by containing at least about 4 parts per million of Nickel Equivalents of heavy metal(s);
II. bringing said converter feed together with cracking catalyst bearing substantially more than 600 ppm Nickel Equivalents of heavy metal to form a stream comprising a suspension of said catalyst in said feed and causing the resultant stream to flow through a progressive flow type reactor having an elongated reaction chamber which is at least in part vertical or inclined for a vapor riser residence time in the range of about 0.5 to about 10 seconds at a temperature of about 900.degree. to about 1400.degree. F. and under a pressure of about 10 to about 50 pounds per square inch absolute sufficient for causing a conversion per pass in the range of about 50% to about 90% while producing coke in amounts in the range of about 6 to about 14% by weight based on fresh feed, and laying down coke on the catalyst in amounts in the range of about 0.3 to about 3% by weight;
III. separating said catalyst from the resultant cracking products;
IV. stripping adsorbed hydrocarbons from said separated catalyst;
V. regenerating said metals-bearing, coked catalyst by burning the coke in at least one regeneration zone with oxygen-containing combustion-supporting gas while forming combustion product gases comprising CO and/or CO.sub.2, maintaining the CO:CO.sub.2 molar ratio of the combustion product gases formed from the burning of at least the major weight portion of the coke at a level of at least about 0.25 while such gases are in heat exchange contact with the catalyst, burning sufficient coke to reduce the weight of carbon on catalyst to about 0.1% or less while limiting the amount of combustion-supporting gas supplied to the regeneration operation as a whole to less than the stochiometric amount which would be required to burn all of the carbon in the coke to CO.sub.2, to burn all of the H.sub.2 in the coke to H.sub.2 O and to burn any other combustibles which may be present in the coke to their respective combustion products, and restricting the combined free oxygen mole % of all gases resulting from the entire, completed combustion of coke in said regeneration zone or zones to zero or an amount substantially less than 2%;
and
VI. recycling the regenerated catalyst to the reactor for contact with fresh feed.

4 more elements

A process for economically converting carbo-metallic oils to lighter products, comprising:

I. providing a converter feed containing at least about 70% by volume of 650.degree. F.+ material, said converter feed as a whole being characterized by a carbon residue on pyrolysis of at least about 2 and by containing at least about 4 parts per million of Nickel Equivalents of heavy metal(s);
II. bringing said converter feed together with cracking catalyst bearing at least about 3000 ppm Nickel Equivalents of heavy metal to form a stream comprising a suspension of said catalyst in said feed and causing the resultant stream to flow through a progressive flow type reactor having an elongated reaction chamber which is at least in part vertical or inclined for a vapor riser residence time in the range of about 0.5 to about 10 seconds at a temperature of about 900.degree. to about 1400.degree. F. and under a pressure of about 10 to about 50 pounds per square inch absolute sufficient for causing a conversion per pass in the range of about 60% to about 90% while producing coke in amounts in the range of about 6 to about 14% by weight based on fresh feed, and laying down coke on the catalyst in amounts in the range of about 0.3 to about 3% by weight;
III. separating said catalyst from the resultant cracking products;
IV. stripping adsorbed hydrocarbons from said separated catalyst;
V. regenerating said metals-bearing, coked catalyst by burning the coke in at least one regeneration zone with oxygen-containing combustion-supporting gas while forming combustion product gases comprising CO and/or CO.sub.2, maintaining the CO:CO.sub.2 molar ratio of the combustion product gases formed from the burning of at least the major weight portion of the coke at a level of at least about 0.3 while such gases are in heat exchange contact with the catalyst, burning sufficient coke to reduce the weight of carbon on catalyst to about 0.05% or less while limiting the amount of combustion-supporting gas supplied to the regeneration operation as a whole, to less than the stoichiometric amount which would be required to burn all of the carbon in the coke to CO.sub.2, to burn all of the H.sub.2 in the coke to H.sub.2 O and to burn any other combustibles which may be present in the coke to their respective combustion products, and restricting the combined free oxygen mole % of all gases resulting from the entire, completed combustion of coke in said regeneration zone or zones to about 0.2% or less, including zero;
and
VI. recycling the regenerated catalyst to the reactor for contact with fresh feed.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.