HYDROGENATION AND HYDROCRACKING OF A MODEL LIGHT CYCLE OIL FEED .2. PROPERTIES OF A SULFIDED NIMO HYDROCRACKING CATALYST

A synthetic model light cycle oil feed containing 40 % w/w 1-methylnaphthalene, dimethyl disulfide, and n-butylamine in n-heptane has been treated under hydrogen on a sulfided NiMoP/zeolite HY-Al2O3 catalyst. Reference conditions were a hydrogen pressure of 28 atm, a temperature of 400-degrees-C, and a liquid hourly space velocity of 1 m3 h-1 m-3cat. The diaromatic undergoes a fast hydrogenation and is in quasi-equilibrium with the corresponding methyltetralins. The group of diaromaties and alkyltetralins evolves through isomerization, methylation, and demethylation. It is converted into alkylindans and alkylbenzenes, the latter evolving towards BTX (benzene, toluene, and xylene) compounds and light paraffins. The numerous compounds in the effluents can be lumped into the three major groups diaromatic-alkyltetralins, alkylindans, and alkylbenzenes, which allows us to propose a simple kinetic scheme for the whole reaction. The inhibition of the reactions by NH3, H2S, and the aromatics has also been investigated, and it has been found that the aromatics have the strongest inhibiting effect.