IMPROVED CATALYSTS FOR HEAVY OIL UPGRADING BASED ON ZEOLITE Y NANOPARTICLES ENCAPSULATED IN STABLE NANOPOROUS HOSTS

The focus of this project is to improve the catalytic performance of zeolite Y for petroleum hydrocracking by synthesizing nanoparticles of the zeolite ({approx}20-25 nm) inside nanoporous silicate or aluminosilicate hosts. The encapsulated zeolite nanoparticles are expected to possess reduced diffusional path lengths, hence hydrocarbon substrates will diffuse in, are converted and the products quickly diffused out. This is expected to prevent over-reaction and the blocking of the zeolite pores and active sites will be minimized. In this phase of the project, procedures for the synthesis of ordered nanoporous silica, such as SBA-15, using block copolymers and nonionic surfactant were successful reproduced. Expansion of the pores sizes of the nanoporous silica using trimethylbenzene is suggested based on shift in the major X-Ray Diffraction peak in the products to lower 2 angles compared with the parent SBA-15 material. The synthesis of ordered nanoporous materials with aluminum incorporated in the predominantly silicate framework was attempted but is not yet successful, and the procedures needs will be repeated and modified as necessary. Nanoparticles of zeolite Y of particle sizes in the range 40 nm to 120 nm were synthesized in the presence of TMAOH as the particle size controlling additive