Development of heavy oil hydrocracking catalysts using amorphous silica-alumina and zeolites as catalyst supports Original Research Article

The overall objective of this research work was to prepare hydrocracking catalysts using amorphous silica-alumina (ASA) supports in combination with USY and β-zeolites. Three supports: namely silica-alumina, USY and β-zeolites were selected to prepare the extrudates using AP-1 as a binder, while two metal pairs: namely Ni–W and Ni–Mo were loaded on the extrudates through co-impregnation using incipient wetness technique. The catalysts were then calcined at 550 °C for 2 h. The catalysts were tested in a fixed-bed flow reaction system for their activity, using desulfurized vacuum gas oil (DS-VGO) as a feedstock. The catalytic evaluation results of the catalysts showed that β-zeolite alone and in combination with the ASA used in this study, has a potential as a support for developing heavy oil hydrocracking catalysts. A balance of weak and strong acidities of β-zeolite provides control cracking, while high surface area and bigger pores of silica-alumina may be useful for producing stable hydrocracking and hydrotreating catalysts.