Gas-oil cracking activity and product selectivity of the hydrothermally-stable mesoporous aluminosilicates (MSU-S) assembled from zeolite seeds

The hydrothermally-stable and acidic MSU-S aluminosilicates assembled from zeolite seeds has been shown to be significantly more active in the cracking of gas-oil, compared to an amorphous commercial silica-alumina catalyst, after moderate steaming pretreatment. When compared to a similarly steamed H-Y based catalyst at constant conversion, the MSU-S catalytic material produced less gasoline and more LCO, while it was more selective for the production of propylene and butylenes, as well as of gasoline range alkenes. The differences in catalytic activity and product selectivity were related to differences in the pore structure/size and in the nature/strength of the acid sites of the tested materials. When the MSU-S materials were tested as FCC catalyst additives, at a concentration level of 8 wt.% on total catalyst weight, they induced higher conversion of gas-oil, mainly due to the increase of LPGs, coke and gasoline range aromatics.