Patent ID: 7250544

Claim:
A process for selective hydrogenation of polyunsaturated compounds contained in a hydrocarbon feedstock by a catalytic reactor comprising an inorganic and porous hydrogen-selective membrane and at least one reaction zone comprising at least one bed of catalyst downstream of said membrane, said process, comprising: a) providing said hydrocarbon feedstock mixed with a first portion of hydrogen and introducing the resultant mixture into at least one reaction zone of said reactor, said first portion of hydrogen being insufficient for said selective hydrogenation reaction, b) providing at least a second portion of the hydrogen necessary to the selective hydrogenation reaction at the upstream face of said hydrogen-selective membrane, so as to selectively diffuse said second portion of hydrogen through said membrane in a controlled manner distributing directly into said reaction zone, and c) conducting a catalytic reaction in said reaction zone of the feedstock introduced in stage a) with at least a portion of the hydrogen that is selectively diffused though said membrane, so as to hydrogenate unsaturated bonds in the polyunsaturated compounds.