Application of different pore diameter SBA-15 supports for heavy gas oil hydrotreatment using FeW catalyst Original Research Article

This work focuses on utilizing mesoporous SBA-15 materials of different pore diameters as potential hydrotreating catalyst supports for heavy gas oil (HGO). Hexane was used as swelling agent for the preparation of variable pore diameter SBA-15 materials. Four kinds of SBA-15 supported FeW catalysts with different pore diameters in the range of 5–20 nm were prepared and designated as Cats-A to D. The aqueous co-impregnation technique was employed for preparation of the catalysts. The supports were characterized by several techniques including X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and N2 adsorption–desorption isotherms. The SBA-15 supported FeW catalysts were characterized by ICP-MS, BET surface area analysis, powder XRD, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and CO chemisorption. Results from XRD profiles, TEM images, and N2 adsorption–desorption isotherms confirmed the presence of highly ordered two-dimensional hexagonal structure with cylindrical arrays of pores. The structural integrity of the samples was preserved even after loading of 2 wt.% Fe and 15 wt.% W. Hydrotreating experiments were conducted using bitumen derived heavy gas oil under industrial conditions of temperature, pressure, LHSV, and gas to oil ratio of 375–400 °C, 8.8 MPa, 1 h−1, and 600 mL/mL, respectively. The SBA-15 supported catalyst with pore diameter of 10 nm (Cat-B) was the best among the supports studied for FeW catalysts, probably due to sufficient mass transfer of reactant liquids and gases through the catalystʹs pores while still maintaining a high surface area necessary for metal dispersion.