The invention relates to a composition useful as a hydrotreating or hydrocracking catalyst, where fresh catalyst useful in hydrotreating or hydrocracking is combined with spent catalyst, and optionally with additional active metal. The resulting compositions can be used in hydrotreating or hydrocracking but not FCC processes.

Provided here are zirconium-substituted hierarchical zeolite compositions and methods of preparing such catalytic compositions. One such method involves subjecting the zirconium-substituted zeolite to a framework modification process using a single template to produce a framework-modified zeolite, followed by subjecting the framework-modified zeolite to an ion exchange process to produce a hierarchical zeolite composition. Also provided are methods of catalytic cracking of hydrocarbon feedstocks using these zirconium-substituted hierarchical zeolite compositions.

A method of making BTX (benzene, toluene, xylene) compounds by feeding a heavy reformate stream to a reactor, where the reactor includes a composite zeolite catalyst, that contains a mixture of a desilicated mesoporous mordenite and ZSM-5, and in which the desilicated mesoporous mordenite, the ZSM-5, or both, comprise one or more impregnated metals. The composite zeolite catalyst is able to catalyze the transalkylation reaction and the dealkylation reaction simultaneously to produce the BTX compounds.

Methods for producing mesoporous beta zeolites from parent beta zeolites having a Si/Al molar ratio of at least 10 comprise selecting a target average mesoporous size between 2 nm and 8 nm for the parent beta zeolites, selecting a pore directing agent (PDA) based on the target average mesopore size, where a non-ionic surfactant, a small cationic surfactant has a molecular weight of greater than 100 grams/mole, or both may be selected as the PDA when the target average mesopore size is at least 5 nm, and a large cationic surfactant having a molecular weight of less than 100 grams/mole may be selected as the PDA when the target average mesopore size is less than 5 nm. The method further comprises adding the selected PDA to an alkaline solution to form a PDA-base mixture, and adding the parent beta zeolites to the PDA-base mixture to produce the mesoporous beta zeolites.

SCR-active molecular-sieve based catalysts with improved low-temperature performance are made by heating a molecular-sieve in a non-oxidizing atmosphere with steam (hydrothermal treatment), or in a reducing atmosphere without steam (thermal treatment), at a temperature in the range of 600-900? C. for a time period from 5 minutes to two hours. The resulting SCR-active iron-containing molecular sieves exhibit a selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides with NH.sub.3 or urea at 250? C. that is at least 50% greater than if the iron-containing molecular-sieve were calcined at 500? C. for two hours without performing the hydrothermal or thermal treatment.

An alkylation catalyst having a zeolite catalyst component and a binder component providing mechanical support for the zeolite catalyst component is disclosed. The binder component is an ion-modified binder that can include metal ions selected from the group consisting of Co, Mn, Ti, Zr, V, Nb, K, Cs, Ga, B, P, Rb, Ag, Na, Cu, Mg, Fe, Mo, Ce, and combinations thereof. The metal ions reduce the number of acid sites on the zeolite catalyst component. The metal ions can range from 0.1 to 50 wt % based on the total weight of the ion-modified binder. Optionally, the ion-modified binder is present in amounts ranging from 1 to 80 wt % based on the total weight of the catalyst.

Provided here are zirconium-substituted hierarchical zeolite compositions and methods of preparing such catalytic compositions. One such method involves subjecting the zirconium-substituted zeolite to a framework modification process using a single template to produce a framework-modified zeolite, followed by subjecting the framework-modified zeolite to an ion exchange process to produce a hierarchical zeolite composition. Also provided are methods of catalytic cracking of hydrocarbon feedstocks using these zirconium-substituted hierarchical zeolite compositions.

A method of making a xylene isomerization catalyst comprises the steps of (i) contacting a ZSM-5 zeolite starting material having a silica to alumina molar ratio of 20 to 50 and having a mesopore surface area in the range of 50 m.sup.2/gram to 200 m.sup.2/gram in a reactor with a base to provide an intermediate zeolite material; (ii) recovering the intermediate ZSM-5 zeolite material of step (i); (iii) contacting the intermediate zeolite material with an acid to provide an acid treated ZSM-5 zeolite product; (iv) recovering the acid treated ZSM-5 zeolite material; and (v) calcining the acid treated ZSM-5 zeolite material to provide a desilicated ZSM-5 zeolite product having a silica to alumina molar ratio of 20 to 150 and having a mesopore surface area in the range of 100 m.sup.2/gram to 400 m.sup.2/gram.

A particulate material and a process for the production thereof are provided, which particulate material comprises zeolitic particles having a crystalline structure, which contain as the main component a zeolite material having a zeolitic framework structure formed from Si, O and optionally Al, and/or a zeolite-like material having a zeolitic framework structure which is formed not only from Si, O and optionally Al, wherein the zeolitic particles are in the form of essentially spherical particles with nanometer dimensions.

SCR-active molecular-sieve based catalysts with improved low-temperature performance are made by heating a molecular-sieve in a non-oxidizing atmosphere with steam (hydrothermal treatment), or in a reducing atmosphere without steam (thermal treatment), at a temperature in the range of 600-900? C. for a time period from 5 minutes to two hours. The resulting SCR-active iron-containing molecular sieves exhibit a selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides with NH.sub.3 or urea at 250? C. that is at least 50% greater than if the iron-containing molecular-sieve were calcined at 500? C. for two hours without performing the hydrothermal or thermal treatment.