Hydroconversion of resids with dispersed molybdenum catalysts derived from phosphomolybdates

Phosphomolybdic acid (PMA) and cobalt, nickel and potassium phosphomolybdates have been found very active catalyst precursors for the conversion of coal- and petroleum-derived resids when they are impregnated onto coal and Al2O3. They are mostly stable up to 400–450°C in the presence of He and H2, but significant change in stability occurs in the presence of H2S, transforming these materials into an active form of catalyst. Their solubility in water provides highly dispersed catalysts in the reaction media. PMA and these bimetallic materials were tested at the concentration of 15, 150 and 1500 mg Mo per kg feed for reaction times of 30 and 90 min, and compared to a commercial NiMo/Al2O3 catalyst (AKZO-60). In the 30 min reactions, increasing Mo concentration did not provide a significant improvement in resid conversions compared to the non-catalyzed case. However, in the 90 min reactions, improvements were observed in conversion of coal and Mayan resids to distillate boiling below 525°C. The results indicate that thermal reactions play an important role in the 30 min reactions, and catalytic reactions resulting in increased resid conversions become more important in the 90-min reactions. Higher conversions with nickel phosphomolybdate supported on Al2O3 were observed with Mayan resid compared with coal resid. Nickel phosphomolybdate has been found to have promising catalytic activity for hydroconversion processes.