Patent ID: 8865953

Claim:
A process for producing a branched paraffin-rich diesel product from a renewable feedstock comprising; a) treating the feedstock in a first reaction zone by hydrogenating and deoxygenating the feedstock using a catalyst at reaction conditions in the presence of hydrogen and at least one sulfur containing compound to provide a first reaction zone product stream comprising hydrogen, hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, and a hydrocarbon fraction comprising n-paraffins useful as a diesel boiling range fuel; b) selectively separating, in a hot high pressure hydrogen stripper, a gaseous stream comprising hydrogen, hydrogen sulfide, and at least a portion of the water and carbon dioxide from the first reaction zone product stream and introducing a remainder stream comprising at least the n-paraffins to a second reaction zone to contact an isomerization catalyst at isomerization conditions to isomerize at least a portion of the n-paraffins and generate a branched paraffin-rich stream; c) combining the branched-paraffin-rich stream and the gaseous stream to form a combined stream and cooling and separating to provide: i) a gaseous component comprising at least hydrogen and carbon dioxide ii) a hydrocarbon component comprising paraffins; and iii) a water component and recovering at least a portion of the hydrocarbon component; d) selectively separating the gaseous component using at least one amine solution absorber zone to produce at least a stream comprising at least hydrogen and hydrogen sulfide and depleted in carbon dioxide; and e) recycling the stream comprising at least hydrogen and hydrogen sulfide and depleted in carbon dioxide to the first reaction zone.