The present invention relates to a method for the preparation of a synthetic crystalline zeolite material, to said synthetic crystalline zeolite material, and to the uses of said method and said synthetic crystalline zeolite material in various applications.

A mesoporous zeolitic material possessing an ordered mono-dimensional (1D) or two-dimensional (2D) network of micropores (ie pores<2 nm in diameter) containing mesopores (pores with diameters in the range 2-50 nm) connected to the microporores, the mesopores being characterized by an aspect ratio (length to width) higher than 2, a ratio of the volume of the intracrystalline mesopores to the volume of the micropores in the range 0.1 to 2 and an orientation of the mesopores in the direction of the micropores.

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 catalyst comprising a calcined oxide matrix which is mainly alumina and an active phase comprising nickel, said active phase being at least partially co-mixed within said calcined oxide matrix which is mainly alumina, the nickel content being in the range 5% to 65% by weight of said element with respect to the total mass of catalyst, said active phase not comprising any metal from group VIB, the nickel particles having a diameter of less than 15 nm, said catalyst having a median mesopore diameter in the range 12 nm to 25 nm, a median macropore diameter in the range 50 to 300 nm, a mesopore volume, measured by mercury porosimetry, of 0.40 mL/g or more and a total pore volume, measured by mercury porosimetry, of 0.45 mL/g or more. The process for the preparation of said catalyst, and its use in a hydrogenation process.

Embodiments of processes for producing propylene utilize a dual catalyst system comprising a mesoporous silica catalyst impregnated with metal oxide and a mordenite framework inverted (MFI) structured silica catalyst downstream of the mesoporous silica catalyst, where the mesoporous silica catalyst includes a pore size distribution of at least 2.5 nm to 40 nm and a total pore volume of at least 0.600 cm.sup.3/g, and the MFI structured silica catalyst has a total acidity of 0.001 mmol/g to 0.1 mmol/g. The propylene is produced from the butene stream via metathesis by contacting the mesoporous silica catalyst and subsequent cracking by contacting the MFI structured silica catalyst.

A hydrocracking catalyst having a support of a composite of mesoporous materials, molecular sieves and alumina, is used in the last bed of a multi-bed system for treating heavy crude oils and residues and is designed to increase the production of intermediate distillates having boiling points in a temperature range of 204? C. to 538? C., decrease the production of the heavy fraction (>538? C.), and increase the production of gasoline fraction (<204? C.). The feedstock to be processed in the last bed contains low amounts of metals and is lighter than the feedstock that is fed to the first catalytic bed.

A catalyst comprises an active phase constituted by palladium, and a porous support comprising at least one refractory oxide selected from the group constituted by silica, alumina and silica-alumina, in which: the palladium content in the catalyst is in the range 0.0025% to 1% by weight with respect to the total weight of catalyst; at least 80% by weight of the palladium is distributed in a crust at the periphery of the porous support, the thickness of said crust being in the range 25 to 450 m; the specific surface area of the porous support is in the range 70 to 160 m.sup.2/g; the metallic dispersion D of the palladium is less than 20%.

The present invention relates to a catalyst additive composition suitable for fluid cracking, riser cracking and fixed bed cracking with reduction in bottom and coke, wherein the aluminosilicate and silica-alumina is generated in situ from added clay and silica. The present invention is also directed towards the preparation of the said catalyst additive composition. The invention also discloses a process for cracking of heavy hydrocarbons using the said catalyst additive.

A process for converting a hydrocarbon feed includes contacting a hydrocarbon feed with steam in the presence of a cracking catalyst under steam enhanced catalytic cracking conditions. The contacting the hydrocarbon feed with the steam in the presence of the cracking catalyst causes at least a portion of the hydrocarbon feed to undergo steam catalytic cracking reactions to produce a cracked effluent comprising C.sub.2 to C.sub.4 olefins, C.sub.6 to C.sub.10 aromatic compounds, or both. The cracking catalyst is a nanoparticle. The nanoparticle has a core and a shell. The core includes at least one zeolite particle, where the at least one zeolite particle includes ZSM-5 zeolites, Beta zeolites, Y-zeolites, or combinations of these zeolites. The shell is mesoporous and incudes silica (SiO.sub.2), alumina (Al.sub.2O.sub.3), or silica and alumina.

A carrier having at least three lobes, a first end, a second end, a wall between the ends and a non-uniform radius of transition at the intersection of an end and the wall is disclosed. A catalyst comprising the carrier, silver and promoters deposited on the carrier and useful for the epoxidation of olefins is also disclosed. A method for making the carrier, a method for making the catalyst and a process for epoxidation of an olefin with the catalyst are also disclosed.