Process for hydrogenation of heavy oil

Abstract From the Canadian patent

The present invention relates to a process for hydrogenating a heavy oil in a hydrogenation reactor of the suspension bed type by the use of catalyst particles and subjecting a catalyst slurry consisting of the used catalyst and the product oil withdrawn from the hydrogenation reactor to solid/liquid separation to recover the product oil and then regenerating by oxidation the used catalyst, the improvement is that the solid/liquid separation step includes at least a step of heat drying oil-containing catalyst particles. In accordance with the process of the present invention, the rate of recovery of oil in the catalyst slurry is high and the yield of product oil can be increased.