Catalyst for wax isomerate yield enhancement by oxygenate pretreatment

Abstract

A dewaxing catalyst is selectively activated by treatment with an oxygenate. Selective activation is accomplished by treated the dewaxing catalyst with a carrier feed containing oxygenate. The selectively activated dewaxing catalyst when used to dewax waxy hydrocarbons results in improved yield of isomerate at equivalent pour point over a dewaxing catalyst which has not been oxygenate treated.

1 . A process for making a selectively activated dewaxing catalyst comprising: contacting a dewaxing catalyst with a carrier feed containing at least one oxygenate at a temperature of from about 120° C. to about 400° C., and a hydrogen pressure of from about 101 kPa to about 20786 kPa.  
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the dewaxing catalyst contains at least one molecular sieve containing at least one 10 or 12-ring channel.  
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 2  wherein the molecular sieve is at least one of ZSM-5, ZSM-11, ZSM-22, ZSM-23, ZSM-35, ZSM-48, ZSM-57, ferrierite, EU-1, NU-87, ECR-42, SAPO-11, SAPO-41, ITQ-13 or MCM-71.  
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 2  wherein the molecular sieve is at least one of zeolite beta, ZSM-12, MCM-68, SAPO-5, SAPO-31, MAPO-36, ZSM-18, offretite, mordenite or faujasite.  
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 3  wherein the molecular sieve is ZSM-48.  
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the oxygenate is at least one alcohol, carboxylic acid, ester, aldehyde, ketone or ether.  
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the oxygenate is water.  
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the amount of oxygenate in the carrier feed is at least about 100 wppm, measured as oxygen.  
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the carrier feed is the wax containing hydrocarbon feed.  
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the dewaxing catalyst is sulfided, reduced, or sulfided and reduced.  
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the dewaxing catalyst bears a metal hydrogenation component.  
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 11  wherein the metal hydrogenation component is at least one Group 9 or 10 noble metal.