Ultra-low zeolite content FCC catalyst in-situ crystallization
The present technology provides a method of making a fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) catalyst, the method includes: in situ crystallizing Y-zeolite on a precursor microsphere to provide the FCC catalyst, wherein the in situ crystallizing includes: mixing the precursor microspheres with sodium silicate, a zeolite initiator (seeding zeolite crystals), and water to form an alkaline slurry; and heating the alkaline slurry to a temperature of about 38° C. (100° F.) to about 93° C. (200° F.) to obtain a zeolitic microsphere material; and wherein the FCC catalyst has a zeolite content of less than or equal to about 30 weight percent (wt. %). The unit cell size of the zeolite Y is 24.60 to 24.70 angstrom.
1 . A method of making a fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) catalyst, the method comprising:
in situ crystallizing Y-zeolite on a precursor microsphere to provide the FCC catalyst,
wherein the in situ crystallizing comprises:
mixing the precursor microspheres with sodium silicate, a zeolite initiator, and water to form an alkaline slurry; and
heating the alkaline slurry to a temperature of about 100° F. to 200° F. to obtain a zeolitic microsphere material; wherein heating is conducted for a time sufficient to crystallize less than or equal to about 30 weight percent (wt. %) of Y-zeolite in the zeolitic microspherical material, based on total weight of the zeolitic microspherical material.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the temperature is about 150° F. to 200° F.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least about 5 wt. % to about 30 wt. % of Y-zeolite is crystallized in or on the precursor microspheres.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the precursor microspheres comprise a non-zeolitic material.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the non-zeolitic material comprises clay, alumina, or a mixture thereof.
6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the alumina further comprises a rare earth element.
7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the alumina comprises the rare earth element in an amount of about 0.1 wt. % to about 6 wt. %.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the alkaline slurry further comprises sodium hydroxide.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the alkaline slurry comprises a weight ratio of zeolite initiator to precursor microspheres from about 0.0002 to about 0.01.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the zeolitic microspherical material is free, or substantially free, of zeolite P.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the Y zeolite has a unit cell size of about 24.60 Å to about 24.70 Å.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the FCC catalyst has a zeolite surface area from about 30 m 2 /g to about 200 m 2 /g.
13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the FCC catalyst has a matrix surface area of about 70 m 2 /g to about 175 m 2 /g.
14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the FCC catalyst has a ratio of zeolite surface area to matrix surface area of about 0.3 to about 3.
15 . A FCC catalyst prepared according to the method of claim 1 .
16 . A method of cracking a hydrocarbon feed comprising contacting said feed with the FCC catalyst of claim 15 .
17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the heating of the alkaline slurry comprises heating to a temperature of 150° F. to 200° F. to obtain the zeolitic microsphere material, wherein heating is conducted for a time sufficient to crystallize from at least about 5 wt. % to less than about 30 wt. % of Y-zeolite in the zeolitic microsphere material, based on total weight of the zeolitic microsphere material.
18 . A method of making a fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) catalyst, the method comprising:
in situ crystallizing Y-zeolite on a precursor microsphere to provide the FCC catalyst,
wherein the in situ crystallizing comprises:
mixing the precursor microspheres with sodium silicate, a zeolite initiator, and water to form an alkaline slurry; and
heating the alkaline slurry to a temperature of 150° F. to 200° F. to obtain a zeolitic microspherical material, wherein heating is conducted for a time sufficient to crystallize from at least about 5 wt. % to less than about 30 wt. % of Y-zeolite in the zeolitic microspherical material, based on total weight of the zeolitic microspherical material;
wherein the material is free, or substantially free, of zeolite P.