ACTIVATION OF SULFIDE PRECURSOR TYPE HYDROTREATMENT CATALYST

PURPOSE:To eliminate the lowering of initial activity due to a temp. rise speed by supplying a hydrogen sulfide/hydrogen gaseous mixture containing a specific amount of hydrogen sulfide to a sulfide precursor type hydrotreatment catalyst at specific temp. at a specific linear velocity in the flow direction of a catalyst bed. CONSTITUTION:A sulfurization agent is contained in a catalyst wherein a metal of the Group VI of the Periodic Table and a metal of the Group VIII of the Periodic Table are supported on an inorg. oxide carrier to prepare a sulfide precursor type hydrotreatment catalyst. Subsequently, a hydrogen sulfide/ hydrogen gaseous mixture containing 0.1-30vol.% of hydrogen sulfide is supplied to the aforementioned sulfide precursor type hydrotreatment catalyst at linear velocity of 20cm/hr or more in the flow direction of a catalyst bed during a time from 150 deg.C to the start point of time of hydrodesulfurization to activate the catalyst. The pref. linear velocity of the aforementioned hydrogen sulfide/ hydrogen gaseous mixture in the flow direction of the catalyst bed is about 20-200cm/hr and the pref. total pressure of the hydrogen sulfide/hydrogen gaseous mixture is about 1-30atm as absolute pressure.