Marathon Ashland Petroleum LLC

Maurice M Mitchell

Terry L Goolsby

A catalytic cracking catalyst comprising zeolite, kaolin, alumina and/or silica, antimony and 100-5,000 wt. ppm Ni is disclosed. The Ni-antimony interact in the environment of a fluidized catalytic cracking reactor to increase the magnetic susceptibility of the catalyst, permitting removal of nickel contaminated catalyst by magnetic separation.

Cracking catalyst with high magnetic susceptibility

Magnetic separation of fluid cracking catalyst and magnetic hooks can be improved by adding antimony, in the feed or during catalyst manufacture, to enhance the magnetic susceptibility, thus increasing the separation efficiency of the older less active fluid cracking catalyst from the more desirable fraction for recycle. Antimony can also be used as a tag for determination of age distribution of said catalyst. Concentration levels of 0.005-15 wt. % antimony (Sb) on the catalyst or sorbent are preferred. The invention is particularly preferred on catalyst and sorbents which comprise at least about 0.001 wt. %, more preferably above about 0.01 wt. % iron, because the antimony has been found to enhance the magnetic susceptibility of iron-containing particulates.

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Ashland, KY, United States of America

Maurice M Mitchell