Multi-stage process for demetalation, desulfurization and dewaxing of

Abstract

A catalytic multi-stage hydrocarbon conversion process is provided for reducing high metals content, sulfur content and pour point of the catalytically reacted residual oil by the use of sequential combination of catalytic compositions. In the first stage, the residual oil, under demetalation and desulfurization reaction conditions, is passed over a catalyst comprising about 1 to about 10 weight percent of a Group VIB metal, based on the total catalyst weight, on a supporting comprising at least 85 weight percent alumina. The resulting catalyst contains at least 65 percent of its pore volume in the 150 to 300 Angstroms diameter range or at least 60 percent of its pore volume in the 100 to 200 Angstroms diameter range. The resulting product of stage 1, under desulfurization and dewaxing conditions, is then passed over a second catalyst comprising about 1 to about 10 percent of an iron group metal and about 5 to about 25 weight percent of a Group VIB metal, based on the total catalyst weight, on a support comprising a composite of alumina and a minor amount of about 5 to about 25 weight percent of a ZSM-5 crystalline zeolite based on the total composite. The resulting catalyst contains at least 60 percent of its pore volume in the 50 to 200 Angstroms diameter range or at least 50% of its pore volume in the 30 to 100 Angstroms diameter range.