Development of novel microemulsion catalysts

The use of microemulsions is an effective and convenient way to disperse transition metals in oil. Salts of transition metals dissolved in the water phase (discontinuous phase) of microemulsions can produce fine catalyst precursor particles. Recently CANMET succeeded in producing water-in-pitch microemulsions containing various catalyst precursors. The microemulsions produced at CANMET are very stable. They were stored at room temperature for over 18 months with no sign of phase separation. Low angle X-ray analyses of the catalyst and catalyst precursors indicated that extremely fine catalytically active species such as pyrrhotite were formed under high temperature and hydrogen pressure in the presence of sulphur-containing heavy oils. Typical pyrrhotite particles were approximately 250A (0.025 pm or 25 nm) in diameter which give 50 m 2/g surface area. This report describes a production method of catalyst-containing microemulsions and a series of hydrocracking/hydrogenation runs using heavy oil and vacuum bottoms to explore the application of newly formulated microemulsions. The process performance of the microemulsion catalysts was compared with that of the regular CANMET additive (FeSO4 on coal) in a tubing bomb. A microemulsion containing a Fe salt only and molybdenum naphthenate were compared using a CSTR. Experimental results from both units clearly indicated that the microemulsion additives are superior to the regular CANMET additive. Further, the test results from the CSTR showed that 2000 ppm iron introduced via microemulsion as hydrocracking catalyst is as effective as 200 ppm molybdenum introduced as molybdenum naphthenate.