Study of the Preparation of Ni‐Cr/γ‐Al ₂ O ₃ Catalyst and Its Use in the Production of Synthetic Fuel

ABSTRACT

This work reports the synthesis of the Ni‐Cr/γ‐Al ₂ O ₃ catalyst by preparing γ‐Al ₂ O ₃ from local kaolin clay, followed by impregnation with Ni‐Cr. The catalyst was identified using x‐ray diffraction (XRD), BET surface area and porosity, FESEM, and energy‐dispersive x‐ray (EDX). It was then tested in the ex situ thermal cracking of atmospheric residue (ATR) from a local refinery in Mosul, Iraq. The best upgraded liquid oil was produced at 400°C for 1 h using a 2.0 wt.% 5.0% Ni‐Cr/γ‐Al ₂ O ₃ catalyst. Analysis by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) showed that the resulting liquid oil was essentially composed of n ‐alkanes, iso‐alkanes, and aromatics. Moreover, the liquid oil contained 24.0% gasoline, with an octane number of 84.4. In conclusion, the Ni‐Cr/γ‐Al ₂ O ₃ catalyst can be recommended as a potential catalyst for conventional catalytic thermal cracking processes.