Process for the treatment of petroleum fractions containing metals, in the presence of solid particles, including a magnetohydrostatic separation stage for the said particles and the recycling of part of them

摘要

Process for the treatment of a hydrocarbon fraction containing metals and comprising the following stages: (a) the said hydrocarbon fraction is treated in the presence of mean density particles (d.sub.o) under conditions for eliminating at least partly the metals contained therein and deposits of said metals on at least one fraction of said solid particles; (b) at least part of the solid particles from stage (a), whose mean density is (d.sub.i) is drawn off; (c) said solid particles from stage (b) are magnetohydrostatically separated by introducing said solid particles into a ferrofluid placed in a non-uniform magnetic field and creating a vertical magnetic field, whose intensity is adjusted in such a way that the apparent mean density (d.sub.af) of the ferrofluid permits the separation of said solid particles into at least one mean density fraction (d.sub.i) below said apparent mean density (d.sub.af) of the ferrofluid and into at least one mean density fraction (d.sub.s) above said mean apparent density (d.sub.af) of the ferrofluid and above the mean density (d.sub.1) of the solid particles drawn off in stage (b); (b) at least one fraction of said mean density solid particles (d.sub.s) is recovered; and (e) recycling takes place to stage (a) of at least one fraction of said mean density solid particles (d.sub.i). The solid particles preferably comprise particles of a catalyst and the treatment is e.g. a hydrotreatment.