Hydrotreating of petroleum distillates using shaped catalyst particles

Abstract

There is disclosed a hydrotreating process for petroleum distillate which comprises contacting the distillate with catalyst particles of special shape characteristics in the presence of hydrogen at elevated temperature and pressure.

I claim: 
     
       1. A process for hydrotreating a petroleum distillate to remove sulfur-containing and nitrogen-containing components with a porous catalyst particle of given length and polylobal cross-sectional shape characterized by a concavity index of greater than 1.0, a void fraction in the range of about 0.25 to 0.60; said particle having a ratio of geometric volume to geometric surface in the range of about 0.001 to 0.042 inch; a catalytic surface area greater than about 100 square meter per gram; a catalytic pore volume of between about 0.35 and 0.85 cubic centimeters per gram, said pore volume resulting from a major portion of pores of diameter in the range of about 40 to 90 angstrom units when measured with mercury up to 50,000 pounds per square inch absolute pressure and a contact angle of 140°, and a composition comprising a major portion of alumina, from about 5 to 25 weight percent of molybdenum oxide and from about 1 to 8 weight percent of an oxide selected from cobalt and nickel oxides and mixtures thereof: said process comprising contacting said distillate with said catalyst particle and hydrogen at a hydrogen flow rate of about 100 to 10000 standard cubic feet per barrel of distillate at a liquid hourly space velocity of about 0.5 to 25 reciprocal hour, a temperature in the range of about 500° to 800° F. and a total pressure in the range of about 100 to 3000 pounds per square inch gauge. .[.2. A process for hydrotreating a petroleum distillate to remove sulfur-containing and nitrogen-containing components with a porous catalyst particle of given length and polylobal cross-sectional shape characterized by a concavity index of greater than 1.0, a void fraction in the range of about 0.25 to 0.60, and when containing more than two lobes at least 15% of the points within said particle being greater than about 0.015 inch from the particle surface; said particle having a ratio of geometric volume to geometric surface in the range of about 0.01 to 0.042 inch; a catalytic surface area greater than about 100 square meter per gram; a catalytic pore volume of between about 0.35 and 0.85 cubic centimeters per gram, said pore volume resulting from a major portion of pores of diameter in the range of about 40 to 90 angstrom units when measured with mercury up to 50,000 pounds per square inch absolute pressure and a contact angle of 140°, and a composition comprising a major portion of alumina, from about 5 to 25 weight percent of molybdenum oxide and from about 1 to 8 weight percent of an oxide selected from cobalt and nickel oxides and mixtures thereof: said process comprising contacting said distillate with said catalyst particle and hydrogen at a hydrogen flow rate of about 100 to 10000 standard cubic feet per barrel of distillate at a liquid hourly space velocity of about 0.5 to 25 reciprocal hour, a temperature in the range of about 500° to 800° F., and a total pressure in the range of about 100 to 3000 pounds per square inch gauge..]. .[.3. The process of claim 1 wherein said hydrogen flow rate is 200-2000 standard cubic feet per barrel of 
     
     
        distillate..]. 4. The process of claim 1 wherein said liquid hourly space 
     
     
        velocity is 2 reciprocal hours. 5. The process of claim 1 wherein said 
     
     
        temperature is 650° F. 6. The process of claim 1 wherein said 
     
     
        temperature is 725° F. 7. The process of claim 1 wherein said total pressure is 750 pounds per square inch gauge. .[.8. The process of claim 1 wherein said hydrogen flow rate is 6000 standard cubic feet per barrel of distillate, said liquid hourly space velocity is 2 reciprocal hours, said temperature is 625° F., and said total pressure is 750 pounds per square inch gauge..]. .[.9. The process of claim 1 wherein said hydrogen flow rate is 6000 standard cubic feet per barrel of distillate, said liquid hourly space velocity is 2 reciprocal hours, said temperature is 725° F., and said total pressure is 750 pounds per square inch 
     
     
        gauge..]. 10. The process of claim 1 wherein said catalyst particle is of 
     
     
        three-leaf clover cross-sectional shape. 11. The process of claim 1 wherein said catalyst particle is of dumbbell cross-sectional shape. .Iadd. 12. In a process for hydrotreating petroleum distillate to remove sulfur-containing and nitrogen-containing components by contacting said distillate with hydrogen under pressure, temperature and hydrogen flow rate suitable for such hydrotreating, and with porous hydrotreating catalyst particles comprising a major portion of alumina and hydrotreating promoting amounts of molybdenum oxide and other oxide selected from cobalt oxide, nickel oxide and mixtures thereof, the improvement wherein said catalyst particles having a given length and polylobal cross-sectional shape characterized by a concavity index greater than 1.0, a void fraction in the range of about 0.25 to 0.60, ratio of geometric volume to geometric surface in the range of about 0.001 to 0.042 inch and catalytic pore volume between about 0.35 and 0.85 cubic centimeters per gram, said pore volume resulting from a major portion of pores having a diameter in the range of about 40 to 90 angstrom units when measured with mercury up to 50,000 pounds per square inch absolute pressure and a contact angle of 140°..Iaddend..Iadd. 13. The process of claim 12 wherein the surface area of said catalyst is greater than 200 square meters per gram..Iaddend..Iadd. 14. The process of claim 12 wherein the petroleum distillate is heating oil or gas oil..Iaddend..Iadd. 15. The process of claim 14 wherein the surface area of the catalyst is greater than 200 square meters per gram. .Iaddend..Iadd. 16. The process of claim 12 wherein the liquid hourly space velocity is 2. .Iaddend..Iadd. 17. The process of claim 12 wherein said temperature is 650° F..Iaddend..Iadd. 18. The process of claim 12 wherein the temperature is 725° F. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 19. The process of claim 12 wherein the pressure is 750 pounds per square inch gauge. .Iaddend..Iadd. 20. The process of claim 12 wherein said catalyst particle is of three-leaf clover cross-sectional shape. .Iaddend..Iadd. 21. The process of claim 12 wherein said catalyst particle is of dumbbell cross-sectional shape. .Iaddend..Iadd. 22. The process of claim 14 wherein said temperature is 600° to 725° F. .Iaddend..Iadd. 23. The process of claim 22 wherein said pressure is 500 to 750 pounds per square inch. .Iaddend..Iadd. 24. The process of claim 23 wherein the surface area of said catalyst is greater than 200 square meters per gram. .Iaddend..Iadd. 25. The process of claim 24 wherein the liquid hourly space velocity is 2 to 4. .Iaddend..Iadd. 26. The process of claim 25 wherein said hydrogen flow rate is 1000 standard cubic feet per barrel of catalyst.