LARGE-PORE CATALYSTS FOR HYDROPROCESSING OF RESIDUAL OILS

Hydroprocessing catalysts were prepared using fibrillar alumina and at tapulgite as carrier materials and nickel and molybdenum as active sub stances. With fibrillar alumina as primary particles, a carrier materi al was obtained which combined a large surface area (138 m(2)/g) with a large average pore diameter (252 Angstrom). Due to side-by-side asso ciation of the fibers, attapulgite did not yield a catalyst carrier wi th as large pores as was expected. The catalysts were tested for hydro processing of an atmospheric petroleum resid, and the results were com pared with those obtained for a commercial catalyst with similar loadi ng of nickel and molybdenum. The catalyst prepared using fibrillar alu mina as carrier material was more active than the commercial catalyst for hydrodemetalization, equally active for hydrodesulfurization, and less active for hydrodenitrogenation. The catalyst prepared using atta pulgite as carrier material was inferior to the other two catalysts in all respects.