Two-stage process for producing diamondoid hydrocarbons

摘要

The present invention provides a hydrogenation process for producing diamondoid compounds from a petroleum feedstream containing multiple ring naphthenes comprising the steps of: (a) converting multiple ring naphthenes to alkyl substituted adamantanes in the presence of a zeolite catalyst having a Constraint Index of less than 1 in a first stage to form an intermediate product stream; and (b) selectively cracking non-diamondoid components of said intermediate product stream in the presence of a zeolite having a CI less than or equal to 2 to evolve a final product stream enriched in alkyl substituted adamantanes.