Shaped catalyst particles

Claim 1

A porous hydrotreating catalyst particle having a composition comprising a major portion of alumina; up to about 36 weight percent of silica, based on the total weight of silica and alumina; from about 10 to 25 weight percent of molybdenum in the form of its oxide or sulfide; and a total of about 1 to 8 weight percent of a metal selected from cobalt, nickel and mixtures thereof in the form of the corresponding oxide or sulfide, said percentages being based on the total weight of said catalyst particle; said particle being further characterized by a polylobal cross-sectional shape defining a concave geometric solid, said cross-sectional shape being defined by circles, all of said circles in said cross-sectional shape having equal diameters, the centers of said circles being spaced from one another by a distance which is from about 3/8 to about 15/16 of the diameters of said circles and when more than two lobes are present, lines connecting the centers of adjacent circles form a substantially equilateral polygon, each side of said polygon being from 3/8 to 15/16 of the diameters of said circles and all of said cross-sectional shape included by said circles being of said composition; said particle size being defined by a ratio of geometric volume to geometric surface in the range of about 0.001 to 0.042 inch; a catalytic surface area greater than 150 square meters per gram; and a catalytic pore volume in the range of about 0.35 to 0.85 cubic centimeters per gram, said pore volume resulting from a major portion of pores of diameter in the range of 40 to 90 Angstrom units when measured with mercury at up to about 50,000 pounds per square inch absolute pressure and a contact angle of 140°.