Process for producing lighter distillates

Abstract

The present subject matter relates to a process of producing lighter distillates. The hydrocarbons in the presence of organometallic catalyst are reacted with hydrogen leading to hydrotreating and/or hydrocracking reactions. The metals present in product are subsequently captured the metal capture unit.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A process for hydroprocessing of hydrocarbons, said process comprising the following steps:
 i. mixing the hydrocarbon feed and an organometallic catalyst to obtain a combined feed;   ii. hydroprocessing said combined feed under hydrogen atmosphere in a reactor at a temperature in the range of 100° C. to 450° C. and at a pressure in the range of 10 bar to 250 bar to obtain a product stream;   iii. transferring said product stream to a metal capture unit to separate the metals from the product stream;   iv. sending relatively metal free product stream obtained in step (iii) to first separator for the separation of gas and liquid products;   v. transferring the liquid product stream separated out in step (iv) to second separator for further separation of gas and liquid products; and   vi. sending the liquid products separated out in step (v) to a fractionator for obtaining various fractions of the hydroprocessed product.   
     
     
         2 . The process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said hydrocarbon feed comprises of hydrocarbons boiling above 60° C., ranging from Naphtha to Vacuum Gas Oil. 
     
     
         3 . The process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said catalyst comprises at least one metal or a metallic compound of said metal selected from the group consisting of chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, tungsten, ruthenium, rhodium, tin, and tantalum. 
     
     
         4 . The process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the amount of said catalyst is in the range of 0.001 wt % to 10 wt % of said hydrocarbon feed. 
     
     
         5 . The process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein in the process step (ii), hydroprocessing is carried out for a time period in the range of 15 minutes to 4 hours. 
     
     
         6 . The process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein in the process step (ii), the said reactor system can be selected from a group consisting of continuous stirred tank reactor, ebullated bed reactor, slurry bubble column reactor or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the metal capture unit is placed at the downstream of first separator. 
     
     
         8 . The process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the metal capture unit is placed at the downstream of second separator. 
     
     
         9 . The process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a portion of captured metal stream is recycled back to the reactor system while the remaining portion is sent for metal recovery. 
     
     
         10 . The process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the metal capture unit is one of a centrifuge unit and an adsorption unit.