Process for Using Hydrated Iron Oxide and Alumina Catalyst for Slurry Hydrocracking

Abstract

A process and apparatus is disclosed for converting heavy hydrocarbon feed into lighter hydrocarbon products. The heavy hydrocarbon feed is slurried with a catalyst comprising iron oxide and alumina to form a heavy hydrocarbon slurry and hydrocracked to produce lighter hydrocarbons. Performance of the iron oxide and alumina catalyst is not substantially affected by significant quantities of water on the catalyst.

1 . A process for converting heavy hydrocarbon feed into lighter hydrocarbon products comprising:
 mixing said heavy hydrocarbon liquid feed with catalyst particles and hydrogen to form a heavy hydrocarbon slurry comprising hydrocarbon liquid and catalyst particles, said catalyst particles comprising about 2 to about 45 wt-% iron oxide and about 20 to about 98 wt-% alumina on a volatile free basis, said catalyst further comprising no less than 23 wt-% water;   hydrocracking hydrocarbons in said heavy hydrocarbon slurry in the presence of hydrogen and catalyst particles in a hydrocracking reactor to produce a hydrocracked slurry product comprising lighter hydrocarbon products; and   withdrawing said hydrocracked slurry product from said hydrocracking reactor.   
   
   
       2 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said catalyst comprises no more than 40 wt-% water. 
   
   
       3 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the catalyst particles are not subjected to a drying treatment before entering the hydrocracking reactor. 
   
   
       4 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the iron in the catalyst particles is no more than about 2.0 wt-% of the non-gas material in the reactor. 
   
   
       5 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the iron in the catalyst particles is no less than about 0.1 wt-% of the non-gas material in the reactor. 
   
   
       6 . The process of  claim 1  wherein more than about 80 wt-% of pitch material boiling above 524° C. in the heavy hydrocarbon liquid feed is converted to product having a boiling point temperature of no more than 524° C. 
   
   
       7 . The process of  claim 6  wherein more than about 84 wt-% of pitch material boiling above 524° C. in the heavy hydrocarbon liquid is converted to product having a boiling point temperature of no more than 524° C. 
   
   
       8 . The process of  claim 1  wherein no sulfur is added to the heavy hydrocarbon liquid feed. 
   
   
       9 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the yield of product boiling in the range of C 5  to 524° C. is greater than about 67 wt-%. 
   
   
       10 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the yield of TIOR in the product is no more than about 3.3 wt-% of the feed. 
   
   
       11 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the catalyst particles comprise bauxite. 
   
   
       12 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the catalyst particles comprise no more than 39 wt-% water. 
   
   
       13 . A process for converting heavy hydrocarbon feed into lighter hydrocarbon products comprising:
 mixing said heavy hydrocarbon liquid feed with catalyst particles and hydrogen to form a heavy hydrocarbon slurry, said catalyst particles comprising about 2 to about 45 wt-% iron oxide and about 20 to about 98 wt-% alumina on a volatile free basis, said catalyst particles further comprising about 23 to about 40 wt-% water;   hydrocracking hydrocarbons in said heavy hydrocarbon slurry in the presence of hydrogen and catalyst particles in a hydrocracking reactor to produce a hydrocracked slurry product comprising lighter hydrocarbon products; and   withdrawing said hydrocracked slurry product from said hydrocracking reactor.   
   
   
       14 . The process of  claim 13  wherein the catalyst particles are not subjected to a drying treatment before entering the hydrocracking reactor. 
   
   
       15 . The process of  claim 13  wherein more than about 80 wt-% of pitch material boiling above 524° C. in the heavy hydrocarbon liquid feed is converted to product having a boiling point temperature of no more than 524° C. 
   
   
       16 . The process of  claim 15  wherein more than about 84 wt-% of pitch material boiling above 524° C. in the heavy hydrocarbon liquid is converted to product having a boiling point temperature of no more than 524° C. 
   
   
       17 . The process of  claim 13  wherein the yield of product boiling in the range of C 5  to 524° C. is greater than about 67 wt-%. 
   
   
       18 . The process of  claim 13  wherein the catalyst particles comprise bauxite. 
   
   
       19 . The process of  claim 13  wherein the catalyst particles comprise no more than 39 wt-% water. 
   
   
       20 . A process for converting heavy hydrocarbon feed into lighter hydrocarbon products comprising:
 mixing said heavy hydrocarbon liquid feed with catalyst particles and hydrogen to form a heavy hydrocarbon slurry comprising hydrocarbon liquid and catalyst particles, said catalyst particles comprising bauxite and no less than 23 wt-% water;   hydrocracking hydrocarbons in said heavy hydrocarbon slurry in the presence of hydrogen and catalyst particles in a hydrocracking reactor to produce a hydrocracked slurry product comprising lighter hydrocarbon products; and   withdrawing said hydrocracked slurry product from said hydrocracking reactor.