摘要 |
Hydrocarbon feedstocks containing C2, C3 or C4 unsaturated hydrocarbons and having a major molar proportion in relation to the total C2, C3 and C4 unsaturates of mono-olefines and a minor molar proportion of unsaturated hydrocarbons with a higher degree of unsaturation than mono-olefines, i.e. olefines containing more than one double bond and acetylenes, are hydrogenated over a supported nickel-containing catalyst, which, under the operating conditions, is present in major proportion as elemental nickel, said catalyst having previously been modified by treatment with a sulphur compound which is a thiophene or a thiocycloalkane having at least 4 carbon atoms per ring or a dialkyl monosulphide, so that the nickel in the catalyst is thereby combined with 1-40 mol per cent of sulphur, the hydrogenation being effected at 50-250 DEG C. at a space velocity of 100-10,000 v./v./hr. so that at least a proportion of the unsaturates with a higher degree of unsaturation are selectively hydrogenated without appreciable saturation of the mono-olefin. The hydrogenation is preferably effected at 0-1000 p.s.i.g. and at a hydrogen:hydrocarbon mole ratio, based on the unsaturates to be hydrogenated, of 0.5-100. |