Design and development of Ti-modified zeolite-based catalyst for hydrocracking heavy petroleum

New Ni–Mo sulfide catalysts with zeolite-based supports were designed and developed for hydrocracking heavy petroleum to meet the increasing demand for transportation fuels. The supports consisted of modified ultra-stable-Y zeolite (MTZ) and an Al2O3 binder. The MTZ was prepared by immersing ultra-stable-Y zeolite in aqueous Ti(SO4)2 solutions, followed by Mo loading with the equilibrium adsorption of ammonium heptamolybdate. The catalytic performance of NiMo/MTZ, prepared by one-step incipient wetness impregnation of the MTZ support, was then evaluated using a bench-scale plant with a fixed-bed reactor. NiMo/MTZ showed high AR conversion, high selectivity to middle distillate (MD) fraction, and almost no deactivation up to 2600 h. This high performance was attributed to the large mesoporosity and controlled acidity of MTZ.