A process using a dealkylated aromatic liquid improves a heavy hydrocarbon liquid used for supporting molybdenum carbonized catalyst. Dealkylated aromatic liquid can be derived from heavy hydrocarbon materials that have been subjected to cracking, such as fluid catalytic cracking or slurry hydrocracking. The heavy hydrocarbon liquid can comprise a portion of resid SHC feed and a portion of a gas oil stream from SHC effluent.

Disclosed here is a method for hydrocarbon conversion, comprising contacting at least one graphene-supported assembly with at least one hydrocarbon feedstock, wherein the graphene-supported assembly comprises (i) a three-dimensional network of graphene sheets crosslinked by covalent carbon bonds and (ii) at least one metal chalcogenide compound disposed on the graphene sheets, wherein the chalcogen of the metal chalcogenide compound is selected from S, Se and Te, and wherein the metal chalcogenide compound accounts for at least 20 wt. % of the graphene-supported assembly.

A process for upgrading a heavy oil includes passing heavy oil and disulfide oil to a thermal cracking system that includes a thermal cracking unit and a cracker effluent separation system downstream of the thermal cracking unit and thermally cracking at least a portion of the heavy oil in the presence of the disulfide oil in the thermal cracking unit to produce solid coke and a cracking effluent comprising reaction products. The reaction products include one or more liquid reaction products, one or more gaseous reaction products, or both. The presence of the disulfide oil in the thermal cracking unit promotes conversion of hydrocarbons from the heavy oil to the liquid reaction products, the gaseous reaction products, or both relative to the production of the solid coke.