Process for preparing a heavy crude conversion catalyst

Claim 2

A process for the synthesis and preparation of a catalyst, having. a relatively high concentration of pores of uniformly large diameter, high surface area and pore volume comprising dispersing a compound of a Group VIB or Group VIII metal, or both, said compound being thermally decomposable to form a metal oxide, and an aluminum halide salt in an aqueous or alcohol medium in molar ratio of water :aluminum halide or alcohol:aluminum halide ranging from about 15:1 to about 30:1 and, while maintaining the temperature within a range of from about 30° F. to about 100° F., adding olefin oxide in molar ratio of olefin oxide:halide of from about 1.5:1 to about 2.0:1 while maintaining a pH in the range of from about 5-8 to effect removal of the halide from solution and form a sol, raising the temperature of the solution to substantially ambient temperature or higher to form a cogel which separates from its syneresis liquid, aging the cogel while in contact with syneresis liquid for a period of at least 6 hours, separating the cogel from the syneresis liquid, and then washing, drying, calcining to form a catalyst, dispersing a soluble salt of a Group IVA metal in an aqueous of alcohol medium, in amount sufficient to provide from about 0.1 to about 10 percent of the Group IVA metal, measured as its oxide, in the final catalyst, impregnating said catalyst which contains the Group VIB or Group VIII metal hydrogenation component, or both, with aqueous or alcohol medium containing said Group IVA salt, drying, calcining, and the recovering the catalyst.

Claim 3

The process of claim 1 wherein when the catalyst is of size ranging up to 1/50 inch average particle size diameter, at least about 20 percent of its total pore volume of absolute diameter within the range of about 100A to about 200A; when the catalyst is of size ranging from about 1/50 inch up to 1/25 inch average particle size diameter, at least about 15 percent of its total pore volume of absolute diameter within the range of about 150A to about 250A; when the catalyst is of size ranging from about 1/25 inch to about 1/8 inch average particle size diameter, at least about 15 percent of its total pore volume of absolute diameter within the range of about 175A to about 275A; a surface area ranging at least about 200 m 2 /g to about 600 m 2 /g and a pore volume ranging from about 0.8 cc/g to about 3.0 cc/g.

Claim 4

The process of claim 2 wherein the recovered catalyst is characterized as follows: ______________________________________ Distribution of Pore Diameters by Average Particle Size Diameter in Inches ______________________________________ 1/500 up to 1/50" 0-50A <20% 100-200A >20% 300A+ <30% Pore Volume, cc/g 0.8-1.4 Surface Area, m.sup.2 /g 300-450 1/50 up to 1/25" 0-50A <10% 150-250A >15% 350A+ <35% Pore Volume, cc/g 1.1-1.7 Surface Area, m.sup.2 /g 320-475 1/25 up to 1/8" 0-50A <5% 175-275A >15% 350A+ <40% Pore Volume, cc/g 1.3-1.9 Surface Area, m.sup.2 /g 340-500 ______________________________________

Claim 5

The process of claim 1 wherein one or more Group VIII noble metal, lanthanum or lanthanum series metal compounds which are thermally decomposable to form an oxide, are added to the solution in molar ratio metal:aluminum halide ranging from about 0.001:1 to about 0.06:1 during the synthesis, and the recovered catalyst is characterized as follows: ______________________________________ Distribution of Pore Diameters by Average Particle Size Diameter in Inches ______________________________________ 1/500 up to 1/50" 0-50A <10% 100-200A >25% 300A+ <25% Pore Volume, cc/g 0.9-1.5 Surface Area, m.sup.2 /g 310-500 1/50 up to 1/25" 0-50A <5% 150-250A >20% 350A+ <30% Pore Volume, cc/g 1.3-1.9 Surface Area, m.sup.2 /g 340-575 1/25 up to 1/8" 0-50A <4% 175-275A >20% 350A+ <35% Pore Volume, cc/g 1.5-2.1 Surface Area, m.sup.2 /g 350-600 ______________________________________

Claim 6

The process of claim 4 wherein the molar ratio metal:aluminum halide ranges from about 0.01:1 to about 0.03:1 and the catalyst recovered is characterized as follows: ______________________________________ Distribution of Pore Diameters by Average Particle Size Diameter in Inches ______________________________________ 1/500 up to 1/50" 0-50A <2% 100-200A >70% 300A+ <1% Pore Volume, cc/g 1.1-1.7 Surface Area, m.sup.2 /g 325-550 1/50 up to 1/25" 0-50A <1% 150-250A >45% 350A+ <7% Pore Volume, cc/g 1.5-2.1 Surface Area, m.sup.2 /g 360-600 1/25 up to 1/8" 0-50A <3% 175-275A >30% 350A+ <25% Pore Volume, cc/g 1.8-2.3 Surface Area, m.sup.2 /g 370-650 ______________________________________

Claim 7

The process of claim 1 wherein the water :aluminum halide or alcohol:aluminum halide ratio ranges from about 18:1 to about 27:1.

Claim 8

The process of claim 1 wherein the temperature of the solution is raised to a temperature ranging from about 70° F. to about 80° F. in forming the solid.

Claim 9

The process of claim 6 wherein the temperature, after formation of the sol is completed, is maintained within a range of from about 70° F. to about 80° F., and aged for a period ranging from about 24 hours to about 72 hours.

Claim 10

The process of claim 1 wherein the Group IVA metal is germanium.

Claim 11

The process of claim 1 wherein, in the formation of the sol, the metal of the Group VIB metal compound dispersed in solution is molybdenum, and the metal of the Group VIII metal compound dispersed in solution is cobalt.

Claim 12

The process of claim 1 wherein, in the formation of the catalyst, the metal of the Group VIB metal compound is molybdenum, the metal of the Group VIII metal compound is cobalt, and the metal of the Group IVA soluble salt is germanium.

Claim 13

The process of claim 11 wherein the recovered catalyst is characterized as follows: ______________________________________ Distribution of Pore Diameters by Average Particle Size Diameter in Inches ______________________________________ 1/500 up to 1/50" 0-50A <10% 100-200A >25% 300A+ >25% Pore Volume, cc/g 0.9-1.5 Surface Area, m.sup.2 /g 310-500 1/50 up to 1/25" 0-50A <5% 150-250A >20% 350A+ <30% Pore Volume, cc/g 1.3-1.9 Surface Area, m.sup.2 /g 340-575 1/25 up to 1/8" 0-50A <4% 175-275A >20% 350A+ <35% Pore Volume, cc/g 1.5-2.1 Surface Area, m.sup.2 /g 350-600 ______________________________________

Claim 14

The process of claim 11 wherein the recovered catalyst is characterized as follows: ______________________________________ Distribution of Pore Diameters By Average Particle Size Diameter in Inches ______________________________________ 1/500 up to 1/50" 0-50A <2% 100-200A >70% 300A+ <1% Pore Volume, cc/g 1.1-1.7 Surface Area, m.sup.2 /g 325-550 1/50 up to 1/25" 0-50A <1% 150-250A >45% 350A+ <7% Pore Volume, cc/g 1.5-2.1 Surface Area, m.sup.2 /g 360-600 1/25 up to 1/8" 0-50A <3% 175-275A >30% 350A+ <25% Pore Volume, cc/g 1.8-2.3 Surface Area, m.sup.2 /g 370-650 ______________________________________

Claim 15

The process of claim 4 wherein the water :aluminum halide or alcohol:aluminum halide ratio ranges from about 15:1 to about 30:1.

Claim 16

The process of claim 14 wherein the temperature of the water or alcohol and aluminum halide dispersion ranges from about 30° F. to about 60° F.

Claim 17

The process of claim 10 wherein the temperature of the solution, after formation of the sol, is raised to a temperature ranging from about 70° F to about 80° F in forming the cogel.

Claim 18

The process of claim 1 wherein the cogel that is formed is aged within the syneresis liquid for a period ranging from about 24 hours to about 72 hours.

Claim 19

A process for the synthesis and preparation of a catalyst, having a combination of properties including a relatively high concentration of pores of uniformly large diameter, high surface area and pore volume comprising dispersing a compound of a group VIB or Group VIII metal, or both, said compound being thermally decomposable to form a metal oxide, and an aluminum halide salt in an aqueous or alcohol medium in molar ratio of water: aluminum halide or alcohol:aluminum halide ranging from about 22:1 to about 30:1 and, while maintaining the temperature within a range of from about 30° F. to about 100° F., adding olefin oxide in molar ratio of olefin oxide:halide of from about 0.3:1 to about 1.5:1 while maintaining a pH in the range of from about 5-8 to remove the halide from solution and form a sol, raising the temperature of the solution to substantially ambient temperature or higher to form a cogel which separates from its syneresis liquid, aging the cogel while in contact with syneresis liquid for a period of at least 6 hours, separating the cogel from the syneresis liquid, and then washing, drying, calcining to form a catalyst, dispersing a soluble salt of a Group IVA metal in an aqueous or alcohol medium, in amount sufficient to provide from about 0.1 to about 10 percent of the Group IVA metal, measured as its oxide, in the final catalyst, impregnating said catalyst which contains the Group VIB or Group VIII metal hydrogenation component, or both, with aqueous or alcohol medium containing said Group IVA metal, drying calcining, and then recovering a catalyst characterized as follows: ______________________________________ (1) Distribution of Pore Diameters 0-50A <10% 100-200A >55% 300A+ <25% (2) Surface area: 200 m.sup.2 /g-600 m.sup.2 /g (3) Pore volume: 0.6 cc/g-1.5 cc/g ______________________________________

Claim 20

A process for the synthesis and preparation of a catalyst, having a combination of properties including a relatively high concentration of pores of uniformly large diameter, high surface area and pore volume comprising dispersing a compound of a group VIB or Group VIII metal, or both, said compound being thermally decomposable to form a metal oxide, and an aluminum halide salt in an aqueous or alcohol medium in molar ratio of water: aluminum halide or alcohol:aluminum halide ranging from about 22:1 to about 30:1 and, while maintaining the temperature within a range of from about 30° F. to about 100° F., adding olefin oxide in molar ratio of olefin oxide:halide of from about 0.3:1 to about 1.5:1 while maintaining a pH in the range of from about 5-8 to remove the halide from solution and form a sol, raising the temperature of the solution to substantially ambient temperature or higher to form a cogel which separates from its syneresis liquid, aging the cogel while in contact with syneresis liquid for a period of at least 6 hours, separating the cogel from the syneresis liquid, and then washing, drying, calcining to form a catalyst, dispersing a soluble salt of a Group IVA metal in an aqueous or alcohol medium, in amount sufficient to provide from about 0.1 to about 10 percent of the Group IVA metal, measured as its oxide, in the final catalyst, impregnating said catalyst which contains the Group VIB or Group VIII metal hydrogenation component, or both, with aqueous or alcohol medium containing said Group IVA metal, drying calcining, and then recovering a catalyst characterized as follows: ______________________________________ (1) Distribution of Pore Diameters 0-50A <10% 100-200A >55% 300A+ <25% (2) Surface area: 200 m.sup.2 /g-600 m.sup.2 /g (3) Pore volume: 0.6 cc/g-1.5 cc/g ______________________________________

Claim 21

The process of claim 18 wherein the Group IVA metal is geranium.

Claim 22

The process of claim 18 wherein one or more Group VIII noble metal, lanthanum or lanthanum series metal compounds which are thermally decomposable to form an oxide, are added to the solution in molar ratio metal:aluminum halide ranging from about 0.001:1 to about 0.06:1 during the synthesis, and the recovered catalyst is characterized as follows: ______________________________________ (1) Distribution of Pore Diameters 0-50A <1% 100-200A >70% 300A+ <1% (2) Surface area: 250 m.sup.2 /g-450 m.sup.2 /g (3) Pore volume: 0.9 cc/g-1.3 cc/g ______________________________________

Claim 23

The process of claim 20 wherein the molar ratio metal:aluminum halide ranges from about 0.01:1 to about 0.03:1 and the recovered catalyst is characterized as follows: ______________________________________ (1) Distribution of Pore Diameters 0-50A <1% 100-200A >70% 300A+ <1% (2) Surface area: 250 m.sup.2 /g-450 m.sup.2 /g (3) Pore volume: 0.9 cc/g-1.3 cc/g ______________________________________

Claim 24

The process of claim 18 wherein, in the formation of the sol, the metal of the Group VIB metal compound dispersed in solution is molybdenum, and the metal of the Group VIII metal compound dispersed in solution in cobalt.

Claim 25

The process of claim 18 wherein, in the formation of the sol, the metal of the dispersed Group VIB metal compound is molybdenum, the metal of the dispersed Group VIII metal compound is cobalt, and the metal of the impregnating Group IVA soluble salt is germanium.

Claim 26

The process of claim 18 wherein the water :aluminum halide or alcohol:aluminum halide ratio ranges from about 26:1 to about 28:1.

Claim 27

The process of claim 24 wherein after formation of the sol the temperature is raised to from about 70° F. to about 80° F., and aged for a period ranging from about 24 to about 72 hours.

Claim 28

The process of claim 18 wherein the temperature of the solution is raised to a temperature ranging from about 70° F. to about 80° F to form the cogel.

Claim 29

The process of claim 18 wherein the cogel is aged within the syneresis liquid for a period ranging from about 24 hours to about 72 hours.

Claim 30

The process of claim 20 wherein the water :aluminum halide or alcohol:aluminum halide ratio ranges from about 26:1 to about 28:1.

Claim 31

The process of claim 28 wherein the temperature of the water aluminum halide dispersion ranges from about 30° F. to about 100° F.

Claim 32

The process of claim 20 wherein the temperature of the solution, after formation of the sol, is raised to a temperature ranging from about 70° F. to about 80° F. in forming the cogel.

Claim 33

The process of claim 20 wherein the cogel is aged within the syneresis liquid for a period ranging from about 24 hours to about 72 hours.