Acid treated halloysite clay nanotubes as catalyst supports for fuel production by catalytic hydrocracking of heavy crude oil

Acid treated halloysite nanotubes were utilized as a support for the NiO and CoO catalysts for the hydrocracking of the heavy oil residua obtained from vacuum distillation of the Azerbaijan crude oils. Halloysite was treated with hydrochloric acid prior to seeding the catalysts. Catalysts were further activated in plasma furnace at 850 °C under argon atmosphere. Oil residue was hydrocracked with the catalyst at 450 °C and 1-4 MPa pressure range. Increase of the hydrogen gas pressure from 1 to 4 MPa caused increasing the yield of the liquid fuels (gasoline and diesel) from 52% to 57%. Compositions of the gasoline and diesel fractions were analyzed in detail and it has been established that these products can be used as a fuel in vehicles with further desulfurization process.