Patent ID: 7553997

Claim:
A process for hydrogenating an olefin-containing feedstock containing a plurality of different unsaturated olefinic hydrocarbon compounds characterized as having from 60 to 100 mass % unsaturated olefinic hydrocarbon compounds, the process including: subjecting the olefinic feedstock to bulk hydrogenation by means of catalytic distillation in a catalytic distillation zone containing a hydrogenation catalyst, and in the presence of hydrogen, thereby to hydrogenate from about 30 to about 100% of the unsaturated olefinic hydrocarbon compounds present in the feedstock into their corresponding saturated compounds; and withdrawing the saturated compounds from the catalytic distillation zone; recovering unhydrogenated olefinic hydrocarbon compounds comprising lightest olefinic hydrocarbon compounds in said feedstock from said hydrogenate; and recovering unhydrogenated olefinic hydrocarbon compounds comprising heaviest olefinic hydrocarbon compounds in said feedstock from said hydrogenate.