(617dr) Dispersed Sulfide Catalysts for Hydrocracking of Vacuum Residue

<span" roman"="Roman"" new="New">Recent decrease in light petroleum crude has spurred research in heavy-oil upgrading technologies. Among the heavy oils like petroleum residue and bitumen, vacuum residue (VR) occupying a half of heavier crude oil, has been a target to be upgraded into middle distillates. Hydrocracking is one of the most promising processes with high conversion rate of heavy oil to distillates. In particular, unsupported oil-dispersible nano-catalyst in VR HCK, in which enhanced VR HCK was for oil-dispersible catalyst system over the supported catalyst system, due to the better accessibility toward active centers of the catalyst. This study presents the hydrocracking and hydrogenation activity of bimetallic sulfide on the slurry phase hydrocracking of VR. The catalysts were synthesized by the ligand stabilization method with trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO) used as coordinating agent. The reaction was conducted in an autoclave reactor at 10 MPa H₂and 623~693K for 1.5~24hr. The feedstock was prepared by blending a VR (30g) and synthesized catalysts or recycled one (360ppm metal basis). The characterization was conducted with X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) method. The EXAFS spectra were recorded at beamline 8C and 10C of the Pohang accelerator laboratory.