Catalyst and process for hydroprocessing heavy oils

Claim 2

A process for making an improved sepiolite-based hydroprocessing catalyst comprising first contacting said sepiolite with an aqueous solution of a first metal salt, then contacting the resultant metal ion-exchanged sepiolite with an aqueous solution of a compound of a second metal selected from the group consisting of molybdenum, tungsten and vanadium, and finally contacting the resultant metal-exchanged sepiolite product with an aqueous solution of a magnesium compound, thereby effecting a magnesium ion-exchange with the metal-exchanged sepiolite product and neutralizing acid sites on said sepiolite product.

Claim 3

The process of claim 1 wherein said first metal salt is a salt of a metal selected from the group consisting iron, cobalt and nickel.

Claim 4

The process of claim 1 wherein said first metal salt is a cobalt salt.

Claim 5

The process of claim 1 wherein said second metal is molybdenum.

Claim 6

The process of claim 1 wherein the concentration of said first metal in elemental form in the resultant catalyst product is between about 1 and about 4 percent by weight and the concentration of said second metal in elemental form is between about 8 and about 15 percent by weight.

Claim 7

The process of claim 1 wherein the concentration of added magnesium in the resultant catalyst product is between 18 and 25 percent by weight.

Claim 8

The catalyst produced according to the method of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6.

Claim 9

A hydrodemetalization catalyst comprising a mixture of a catalyst produced by the process of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 and a high silica/alumina mole ratio zeolite.

Claim 10

The catalyst of claim 8 wherein the ratio by weight of metal-exchanged sepiolite to zeolite is between about 2 and about 100.

Claim 11

The catalyst composition of claim 8 wherein the mole ratio of silica to alumina in said zeolite is greater than 10.

Claim 12

The catalyst composition of claim 8 wherein the zeolite is a zeolite selected from the group consisting of ZSM-5, ZSM-11, ZSM-23, ZSM-35 and ZSM-38.

Claim 13

The catalyst composition of claim 8 wherein the zeolite is ZSM-5 zeolite.

Claim 14

The catalyst composition of claim 8 wherein said zeolite is a sodium-exchanged zeolite.

Claim 15

A process for making a hydroprocessing catalyst comprising the steps of: (a) pulverizing sepiolite; (b) drying the pulverized sepiolite; (c) contacting the cool pulverized sepiolite with an aqueous solution of a salt of a metal selected from the group consisting of iron, cobalt and nickel to form a metal-exchanged sepiolite product; (d) washing, drying and calcining said metal-exchanged sepiolite; (e) pulverizing the calcined product obtained in (d); (f) contacting said calcined product with an aqueous solution of a compound containing a metal selected from the group consisting of molybdenum, tungsten and vanadium; (g) calcining the resulting metal-exchanged/metal impregnated product of (f); (h) pulverizing the calcined product obtained in (g) and saturating it with an aqueous solution of a magnesium salt; and (i) separating, drying and calcining the solid product obtained in (h) and drying and calcining it.

Claim 16

A process for making a hydroprocessing catalyst comprising the steps of: (a) pulverizing sepiolite; (b) drying the pulverized sepiolite; (c) contacting the cool pulverized sepiolite with an aqueous solution of a salt of a metal selected from the group consisting of iron, cobalt and nickel to form a metal-exchanged sepiolite product; (d) washing, drying and calcining said metal-exchanged sepiolite; (e) pulverizing the calcined product obtained in (d); (f) contacting said calcined product with an aqueous solution of a compound containing a metal selected from the group consisting of molybdenum, tungsten and vanadium; (g) calcining the resulting metal-exchanged/metal impregnated product of (f); (h) pulverizing the calcined product obtained in (g) and saturating it with an aqueous solution of a magnesium salt; and (i) separating, drying and calcining the solid product obtained in (h) and drying and calcining it.