Catalytic process for the treatment of organic compounds

Abstract

A process for the catalytic reaction of organic compounds, in which the organic compounds are contacted with a catalyst comprising an interstitial metal hydride, having a reaction surface, to produce a catalyst-organic compound mixture, energy is applied, monatomic hydrogen is produced at the reaction surface of the interstitial metal hydride, and the organic compounds are reacted with the monatomic hydrogen. Reactions accomplished by this process include petroleum hydrocracking and hydrotreating processes. The method's performance can be further enhanced using radio frequency (RF) or microwave energy.

1 . A method for hydroprocessing petroleum fractions, the method comprising:
 contacting the petroleum fraction with a catalyst comprising an interstitial metal hydride having a reaction surface and interstitial hydrogen-storing sites, to produce a catalyst-petroleum-fraction mixture, wherein the catalyst has monatomic hydrogen at the reaction surface and at least a portion of the monatomic hydrogen is desorbed from the interstitial hydrogen-storing sites; and   applying energy to at least one of the petroleum fraction and the catalyst-petroleum-fraction mixture to control a reaction between the petroleum fraction and the monatomic hydrogen at the reaction surface.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the petroleum fraction is selected from the group consisting of crude oil, cracked products, coker products, heavy vacuum gas oil (HVGO), light gas oil (LGO), pitch residuum, and combinations thereof. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the petroleum fraction comprises naphthalene. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the petroleum fraction comprises benzothiophene. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the total sulfur content of the petroleum fraction is reduced. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the interstitial metal hydride is a hydride of an alloy comprising a Group VIII metal and a lanthanide. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the interstitial metal hydride is a hydride of an AT 5  alloy or an A 2 T 14 B alloy, or a combination of an AT 5  alloy and an A 2 T 14 B alloy,
 wherein the general formula for AT 5  is A 1-x M x T 5-y-z B y C z  with x=0.0-1.0, y=0.0-2.5, z=0.0-0.5; A=Mm (Mischmetal); T=Ni; M= at least one of La, Pr, or Ce; B═Co; and C=at least one of Mn, Al or Cr; and   wherein, the general formula for A 2 T 14 B is A 2-x M x T 14-y C y D z B with x=0.0-2.0, y=0.0-14, z=0.0-3.0; A=Nd, T=Fe, M=at least one of La, Pr or Ce, B=Boron; C═Co; and D=at least one of Cr, Ni or Mn.   
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the interstitial metal hydride is a hydride of Mm (1.1) Ni (4.22) Co (0.42) Al (0.15) Mn (0.15)  or Nd (2.05) Dy (0.25) Fe (13) B (1.05) . 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the interstitial metal hydride is a hydride of an alloy comprising a Group VIII metal and a Group II metal. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the interstitial metal hydride is a hydride of an A 2 T alloy, wherein the general formula of A 2 T is A 2-x M x T 1-y B y  with x=0.0-0.5; y=0.0-0.5; A=Mg; T=at least one of Ni or Cu; M=La; and B=at least one of Fe or Co. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the interstitial metal hydride is a hydride of Mg (2.05) Ni (0.95) Cu (0.07) . 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing gaseous molecular hydrogen while the monatomic hydrogen is reacted with the petroleum fraction. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the interstitial hydrogen-storing sites are replenished simultaneously with the hydroprocessing of petroleum fractions. 
   
   
       14 . A method for hydroprocessing an organic compound, the method comprising:
 contacting the organic compound with a catalyst comprising an interstitial metal hydride having a reaction surface and interstitial hydrogen-storing sites, to produce a catalyst-organic compound mixture, wherein the catalyst has monatomic hydrogen at the reaction surface and at least a portion of the monatomic hydrogen is desorbed from the interstitial hydrogen-storing sites, wherein the interstitial metal hydride is a hydride of an AT 5  alloy, an A 2 T 14 B alloy, an A 2 T alloy, or a combination thereof,   wherein, for the AT 5  alloy, the general formula is A 1-x M x T 5-y-z B y C z  with x=0.0-1.0, y=0.0-2.5, z=0.0-0.5; A=Mm (Mischmetal); T=Ni; M=La, Pr, or Ce; B═Co; C═Mn, Al or Cr;   wherein, for the A 2 T 14 B catalyst, the general formula is A 1-x M x T 5-y-z B y C z  with x=0.0-2.0, y=0.0-14, z=0.0-3.0; A=Nd; T=Fe; M=La, Pr or Ce; B=Boron; C═Co; D=Cr, Ni or Mn; and   wherein, for the A 2 T catalyst, the general formula is A 2-x M x T 1-y B y  with x=0.0-0.5, y=0.0-0.5; A=Mg; T=Ni or Cu; M=La; B═Fe or Co.   
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the catalyst further comprises a support. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the support is selected from the group consisting of inorganic oxides, metals, carbon, and combinations thereof. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the support is selected from the group consisting of silicas, zeolites, aluminas, and combinations thereof. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the catalyst further comprises a hydrocracking component. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the catalyst further comprises a noble metal catalyst or a metal sulfide, or a combination thereof. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the catalyst further comprises two or more metal sulfides. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claims 19  or  20 , wherein the metal sulfide comprises a metal chosen from the group consisting of W, Co, Ni, Mo, and combinations thereof. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the noble metal catalyst is chosen from the group consisting of Pt and Pd. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the interstitial metal hydride comprises particles having diameters from about 0.01 micrometers to about 1000 micrometers. 
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the reaction surface is substantially free of an oxide layer. 
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the interstitial metal hydride is in the form of a particle having a diameter; and
 wherein the reaction surface has an oxide layer having a thickness equal to or less than half the diameter of the interstitial metal hydride particle.   
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the thickness of the oxide layer is equal to or less than one quarter the diameter of the interstitial metal hydride particle. 
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the thickness of the oxide layer is equal to or less than one tenth the diameter of the interstitial metal hydride particle. 
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the monatomic hydrogen has a concentration at the reaction surface, and the concentration is maximized by exclusion of oxygen and water vapor. 
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising providing gaseous molecular hydrogen while the monatomic hydrogen is reacted with the organic compound. 
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the interstitial hydrogen-storing sites are replenished simultaneously with the hydroprocessing of organic compounds. 
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising providing energy to the catalyst-organic compound mixture.