Petroleum residue upgrading with dispersed catalysts: Part 1. Catalysts activity and selectivity Original Research Article

The results of a study aimed at the identification of the relevant chemical aspects involved in the process of upgrading heavy feedstocks in the presence of dispersed catalysts are discussed. The catalytic activity of different compounds was compared in terms of products yields and quality. Moreover, a detailed and systematic characterization of the catalysts recovered at the end of the reactions was achieved. The experimental work provided quite a large set of data, allowing to investigate the factors that may affect catalyst activity (precursor solubility, rate of activation, degree of dispersion, presence of promoters etc.). The results of this study demonstrate that the best performances are obtained by the microcrystalline molybdenite generated in situ by oil-soluble precursors. The nature of the organic ligand does not play a very relevant role in influencing the hydrogenation activity. The presence of phosphorus, however, significantly enhances hydrodemetallation, at least in terms of vanadium removal. Bimetallic precursors show a slight synergistic effect towards the hydrodesulfurization reaction. Microsized powdered catalyst precursors have a much lower catalytic activity compared to the oil-soluble ones.