Catalytic hydroconversion of chemically digested organic municipal solid waste materials

A process for catalytic two-stage hydroconversion of heavy hydrocarbon feed material containing at least 50 wt. % chemically digested organic-MSW material to produce lower boiling hydrocarbon liquid products, the process comprising:

• (a) blending a non-carbonyl chemically digested organic-MSW feed material which has been chemically digested in phenol and is mainly aromatic together with a heavy petroleum residua, and reacting the blended feedstream with hydrogen in a first stage reactor containing a dispersed slurry catalyst which contains mainly iron oxide and anions of molybdate, phospshate, sulfate or tungstate and mixtures thereof;
• maintaining reaction conditions of 750-860° F. (400-460° C.) temperature, 1500-2500 psig hydrogen partial pressure, feed rate of 30-50 lb./hr/ft3 reactor, and catalyst weight loading of 500-10,000 ppm iron relative to the blended feed material, hydroconverting the feed material and generating a first effluent material containing vapor and liquid portions;
• (b) phase separating said first effluent material into its vapor and liquid portions, passing said liquid portion to a second stage catalytic reactor maintained at the reaction conditions of step (a), and providing a second effluent material containing vapor and liquid portions;
• (c) phase separating said second effluent material into its vapor and liquid portions, purifying said second vapor portion and recovering hydrogen for recycle to said reactors;
• (d) fractionating said second liquid portion into desired gas and liquid fractions based on their normal boiling ranges, and withdrawing low-boiling hydrocarbon liquid products having normal boiling range of IBP-975° F.;
• and
• (e) recycling a hydrocarbon liquid fraction having normal boiling range of 650-975° F. back to the first stage catalytic reactor.