Process for hydrodesulfurizing hydrocarbons

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE CATALYSTIC UPGRADING OF MINERAL OIL HYDROCARBON STOCKS, WHICH COMPRISES PASSING SAID HYDROCARBON STOCK IN ADMIXTURE WITH ADDED HYDROGEN THROUGH A CATALYST CONTACTING ZONE MAINTAINED AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN ABOUT 600* AND 1200* F. AND A PRESSURE BETWEEN ABOUT ATMOSPHERIC AND 5000 P. S. I., SAID CATALYST CONTACTING ZONE CONTAINING A CATALYST CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A MINOR PROPORTION OF COBALT OXIDE PLUS MOLYBDENUM OXIDE AND A MAJOR PROPORTION OF AN ADSORBENT ALUMINA CARRIER, SAID CATALYST HAVING BEEN PREPARED BY FIRST IMPREGNATING AN ADSORBENT CARRIER WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY ALUMINA WITH AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF A SALT OF ONE METAL SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF MOLYBDENUM AND COBALT, HEATING THE THUS-IMPREGNATED CARRIER AT AN ACTIVATION TEMPERATURE ABOVE ABOUT 400* C. TO THEREBY ACTIVATE THE ALUMINA AND DECOMPOSE SAID IMPREGNATED METAL SALT TO ITS OXIDE FORM, THEREAFTER IMPREGNATING THE ACTIVATED ONCE-IMPREGNATED CARRIER WITH AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF A SALT OF THE OTHER OF SAID METALS, AND SUBSEQUENTLY HEATING THE TWICE-IMPREGNATED CARRIER AT AN ACTIVATION TEMPERATURE ABOVE ABOUT 400* C. TO THEREBY ACTIVATE THE ALUMINA AND DECOMPOSE SAID LAST-IMPREGNATED METAL SALT TO ITS OXIDE FORM.