Hydrocarbon composition useful as fuel and combustible obtained from oil components and a biological component

Abstract

The invention relates to a hydrocarbon composition which can be used as fuel and/or combustible, obtained by means of a process which comprises subjecting a gasoil component, a gasoline component and a component of biological origin to hydrotreatment.

1 . Hydrocarbon composition (C) prepared through a process comprising the hydrotreatment of:
 a gasoil component (A)   a gasoline component (A1)   a component of biological origin (B) containing esters of fatty acids, with possible amounts of free fatty acids.   
     
     
         2 . Hydrocarbon composition (C) according to  claim 1  prepared through the process comprising the hydrotreatment of a mixture containing:
 a gasoil component (A) 
 a gasoline component (A1) 
 a component of biological origin (B) containing esters of fatty acids, with possible amounts of free fatty acids. 
 
     
     
         3 . Composition according to  claim 1  or  2  wherein the components (A), (Al) and (B) are mixed to each other and the resulting mixture is supplied to the hydrotreatment. 
     
     
         4 . Composition according to  claim 1  or  2  wherein the mixing of the components (A), (A1) and (B) is performed inside the hydrotreatment reactor, feeding gasoil, gasoline and biological component separately, to the head of the reactor and/or at different points of the reactor, or, in case of reactors in series, between the reactors themselves. 
     
     
         5 . Composition according to  claim 1  or  2  wherein the gasoil component and the gasoline component are fed to the head of the reactor and the component of biological origin is fed to different points of the reactor. 
     
     
         6 . Composition according to  claim 1  or  2  wherein supplied is a mixture made up of two components, or of all the three components, to the head of the reactor, and part of component (A) and/or part of component (A1) and/or part of component (B), separately, to various points of the reactor. 
     
     
         7 . Hydrocarbon composition (C) according to one or more of the preceding claims wherein the mixture subjected to the hydrotreatment process contains gasoil in amounts in the range of 20 to 95% w/w, gasoline in amounts in the range of 1 to 40% w/w, the biological component in amounts in the range of 4 and 60% w/w, all the percentages referring to the total weight of the sum of the components. 
     
     
         8 . Hydrocarbon composition according to  claim 7  wherein the mixture subjected to hydrotreatment contains gasoil in amounts in the range of 40 to 80% w/w, gasoline in amounts in the range of 1 to 40% w/w, the biological component in amounts in the range of 20 to 60% w/w, all percentages referring to the total weight of the sum of the components. 
     
     
         9 . Composition according to  claim 1  or  2  containing additives added after the hydrotreatment step. 
     
     
         10 . Composition according to  claim 1  or  2  wherein the component of biological origin (B) is a mixture containing esters of fatty acids, with possible amounts of free fatty acids. 
     
     
         11 . Composition according to  claim 10  wherein the mixture of biological origin (B) is a mixture of vegetable or animal origin. 
     
     
         12 . Composition according to  claim 10  or  11  wherein the esters of fatty acids contained in the mixtures of biological origin are triglycerides of fatty acids, wherein the hydrocarbon chain of the fatty acid contains 12-24 carbon atoms and it is mono or polyunsaturated. 
     
     
         13 . Composition according to  claim 10 ,  11  or  12  wherein the mixtures of biological origin can be selected from among vegetable oils, vegetable fats, animal fats, fish oils or their mixtures. 
     
     
         14 . Composition according to  claim 13  wherein the vegetable oils or fats, possibly derived from plants selected through genetic manipulation, are selected from among sunflower, rape, canola, palm, soy bean, hemp, olive, linseed, mustard, groundnut, castor, coconut, Jatropha, Virola oils, algae oils, oils or fats contained in pine tree pulps (“tall oil”), oils or fats recycled from the food industry and their mixtures, and the animal oils or fats are selected from among lard, pig fat, tallow, milk fats, oils or fats recycled from the food industry and their mixtures. 
     
     
         15 . Composition according to  claim 1  or  2  wherein in the hydrotreatment, the gasoil component (A) is selected from among gasoils resulting from primary distillation, gasoils from conversion processes and their mixtures. 
     
     
         16 . Composition according to  claim 15  wherein component (A) is selected between Light Cycle Oil (LCO), gasoils resulting from thermal conversion, gasoils resulting from conversion of residues and their mixtures. 
     
     
         17 . Composition according to  claim 16  wherein the gasoils resulting from the conversion of residues derive from fixed bed, ebullated bed and slurry process. 
     
     
         18 . Composition according to  claim 1  or  2  wherein the gasoline component (A1) used in the hydrotreatment is characterised by a T95 (ASTM D86) not exceeding 250° C. 
     
     
         19 . Composition according to  claim 18  wherein the gasoline component (A1) has a T95 not exceeding 240° C. 
     
     
         20 . Composition according to  claim 18  or  19  wherein the gasoline component (A1) has a density in the range of 855 to 910 kg/m 3 . 
     
     
         21 . Composition according to  claim 18 ,  19  or  20  wherein the gasoline component (A1) is characterised by a cloud point (cp) below −40° C. 
     
     
         22 . Composition according to  claim 18 ,  19 ,  20  or  21  wherein the gasoline has an aromatic content greater than 50% by weight. 
     
     
         23 . Composition according to  claim 18 ,  19 ,  20 ,  21  or wherein the gasoline is selected from among the gasolines derived from catalytic processes, the gasolines derived from reforming processes, and their mixtures. 
     
     
         24 . Composition according to  claim 23  wherein the gasoline is selected from among heavy FCC gasolines as it is or desulphurised, heavy reforming gasoline and their mixtures. 
     
     
         25 . Compositions according to  claim 7  or  8  wherein component (A) is LCO in amounts in the range of 30 to 70% w/w, component (A1) is selected from among HCN or Heavy reformed gasolines, in amounts in the range of 1 to 20% w/w, and the component of biological origin is in amounts in the range of 20 to 50% w/w, all percentages referring to the total weight of the sum of the components. 
     
     
         26 . Composition according to  claim 1  or  2  additionally containing additives to improve the cold properties, anti-foam, cetane number improvers, anti-rust agent, detergents, additives to improve lubricity, antioxidant agents, anti-wear agents, anti-static agents. 
     
     
         27 . Composition according to  claim 1  or  2  wherein the hydrotreatment is performed in presence of hydrogen and of a hydrogenation catalyst containing a support and one or more metals selected from among metals of group VIII and group VIB. 
     
     
         28 . Composition according to  claim 27  wherein the support for the hydrotreatment catalyst is selected from among alumina, silica, zirconia, titania, zeolite, mixed oxides, or their mixtures. 
     
     
         29 . Composition according to  claim 27  wherein the metal or metals contained in the hydrotreatment catalyst are selected from among Pd, Pt, Ni, or from among the Ni—Mo, Ni—W, Co—Mo and Co—W pairs of metals. 
     
     
         30 . Composition according to  claim 27  wherein the hydrotreatment catalyst is selected from among the Ni—Mo—P catalytic compositions on zeolite, and Pd/Zeolite. 
     
     
         31 . Composition according to  claim 1  or  2  wherein the hydrotreatment is performed in a reaction zone comprising one or more catalytic beds, in one or more reactors. 
     
     
         32 . Compositions according to  claim 27  or  31  wherein the hydrotreatment is performed in a reaction zone comprising one or more catalytic beds containing identical or different hydrotreatment catalysts. 
     
     
         33 . Composition according to  claim 1  or  2  wherein the hydrotreatment is performed at a temperature varying between 320 and 420° C. 
     
     
         34 . Composition according to  claim 33  wherein the hydrotreatment is performed at a temperature varying between 340 and 380° C. 
     
     
         35 . Composition according to  claim 1 ,  2  or  33  wherein the hydrotreatment is performed at a pressure varying between 50 and 100 bars. 
     
     
         36 . Composition according to  claim 35  wherein the hydrotreatment is performed at a pressure varying between 70 and 100 bars. 
     
     
         37 . Composition according to  claim 1 ,  2 ,  33  or  35  wherein the hydrotreatment is performed at an LHSV in the range of 0.5 to 2 hours −1 . 
     
     
         38 . Composition according to  claim 1 ,  2 ,  33 ,  35  or  37  wherein the hydrotreatment is performed at an H 2 /feed ratio in the range of 200 to 1000 Nl/l. 
     
     
         39 . Composition according to  claim 27  wherein Ni—Mo, Ni—W, Co—Mo and Co—W base catalysts are sulphurised before being used. 
     
     
         40 . Composition according to  claim 1  or  2  wherein the component of biological origin is subjected to a pretreatment before being subjected to hydrotreatment, wherein said pre-treatment is performed through adsorption, treatment with ion exchange resins or slightly acid washings. 
     
     
         41 . Hydrocarbon composition (C) according to one or more of the preceding claims having a cetane index greater than 50, a density in the range of 820-845 kg/m 3 , a polyaromatic content lower than 1% by weight with respect to the total weight of the hydrocarbon composition and a total aromatic content lower than 20% by weight with respect to the weight of the total composition. 
     
     
         42 . Hydroconversion process for preparing hydrocarbon compositions comprising subjecting the following to hydrotreatment:
 a gasoil component (A)   a gasoline component (A1)   a component of biological origin (B) containing esters of fatty acids, with possible amounts of free fatty acids.