Hydrocracking of Athabasca VR Using NiO-WO₃ Zeolite-Based Catalysts

Hydrocracking of Athabasca vacuum residue (AVR) was carried out in an autoclave using particle and fiber forms of NiO-WO₃ zeolite-supported catalyst. AVR hydrocracking was performed at 400 °C at low and high H₂ pressure of 70 and 365 psi, together with the corresponding control thermal cracking runs. The yield of the different products and the quality of the upgraded liquid was used to assess the catalyst performance. Similarity among energy consumption for the different samples suggested major thermal cracking endothermic reactions. In general, the catalytic runs provided better quality maltene product, whereas better quality product oil was only attained at high pressure. The catalytic runs at low H₂ pressure gave the highest yield of combined asphaltenes and toluene insolubles. This yield, on the other hand, was the lowest for the fiber form at high H₂ pressure. Simulated distillation results captured the superior performance of the fiber catalyst at high H₂ pressure and showed ∼50% conversion of the residue. On the other hand, the zeolite particles showed poor performance at high pressure with only ∼ % residue conversion.