Patent ID: 7915460

Claim:
A process for producing a branched paraffin-rich diesel boiling range product from a renewable feedstock comprising: a) treating the renewable feedstock in a first reaction zone by hydrogenating and deoxygenating the renewable feedstock using a catalyst at reaction conditions in the presence of hydrogen to provide a first reaction zone product stream comprising hydrogen, carbon dioxide, water, and n-paraffins wherein the first reaction zone comprises at least two stages connected by an interstage stream; b) separating, in a hot high pressure hydrogen stripper, a gaseous stream comprising hydrogen and at least a portion of the water and carbon oxides from the first reaction zone product stream c) and heat exchanging the remainder comprising at least the n-paraffins with the interstage stream; d) introducing the remainder stream, after heat exchange with the interstage stream, to a second reaction zone to contact an isomerization catalyst at isomerization conditions to isomerize at least the n-paraffins and generate a branched paraffin-rich stream; e) combining the branched paraffin-rich stream and the gaseous stream to form a combined stream; f) cooling the combined stream and separating a gaseous component comprising at least hydrogen and carbon dioxide from a liquid diesel boiling range component; and g) recovering the liquid diesel boiling range component.