Patent ID: 7232516

Claim:
A desulfurization process comprising the steps of: (a) contacting a solid particulate system with a hydrocarbon-containing fluid stream in a desulfurization zone under desulfurization conditions, wherein said solid particulate system comprises a sorbent and a catalyst, wherein said sorbent comprises zinc oxide and a promoter metal and is capable of removing sulfur from said hydrocarbon-containing fluid stream at said desulfurization conditions, wherein said catalyst comprises a zeolite and is capable of increasing the octane of said hydrocarbon-containing fluid stream at said desulfurization conditions; (b) contacting said solid particulate system with an oxygen-containing regeneration stream in a regeneration zone under regeneration conditions; and (c) contacting said solid particulate system with a hydrogen-containing reducing stream in a reducing zone under reducing conditions, and wherein steps (a), (b), and (c) are performed simultaneously in separate desulfurization, regeneration, and reducing zones.