Hydrodemetallisation of residual oil with catalysts using fibrillar alumina as carrier material Original Research Article

Hydroprocessing catalysts were prepared using fibrillar aluminas as carrier materials and sulphides of nickel and molybdenum as active substances. The fibrillar aluminas were obtained from fibrillar boehmite samples prepared at three different synthesis conditions resulting in different fibril sizes. After extrudation and deposition of metals, catalysts combining large surface areas with large average pore diameters were obtained. The catalysts were tested for hydrodemetallisation of an atmospheric residue and the results were compared with those obtained for a commercial reference catalyst with a similar loading of nickel and molybdenum. Two of the catalysts prepared using fibrillar alumina as carrier material were more active than the commercial catalyst. The third catalyst containing the largest alumina fibrils was inferior to the other catalysts in all respects. Catalyst deactivation was investigated in a long-term hydroprocessing experiment using a heavy vacuum residue containing large amounts of metals as a feed oil. The catalyst prepared using fibrillar alumina used in this test showed a constant level of hydrodemetallisation even after 500 h on stream whereas the reference catalyst was completely deactivated after 350 h.