Process for preparing improved amphora aggregates

Claim 1

In a process for hydrotreating a hydrocarbon feed stock, which contains compounds with carbon-sulfur bonds, carbon-nitrogen bonds, and carbon-oxygen bonds, by contacting the hydrocarbon feed stock with hydrogen at an elevated temperature and with a hydrotreating catalyst to remove sulfur, nitrogen and oxygen from the hydrocarbon feed stock, the improvement comprising using as at least part of said catalyst an amphora catalyst having a substantially spherical shape, a void center therein, a first cavity in the external surface communicating with the void center, and a second cavity 180° from said first cavity communicating with said void center, said amphora catalyst being prepared by: (a) preparing a slurry, the slurry comprising a suspending liquid and distinct particles of a first solid suspended in said liquid; (b) preparing a particle bed consisting of particles of a second solid; (c) forming droplets of said slurry; (d) dropping said droplets of the slurry onto said particle bed in such a manner that the droplets are not immersed in the particle bed; (e) freezing said droplets on said particle bed to enhance the rate of drying on the external surface of the slurry droplets and to retard the rate of drying in the interior of the slurry droplets, and (f) removing at least part of said suspending liquid from said frozen droplets in said particle bed to form said amphora catalyst.