Catalyst compositions and processes for making and using same

A process for making a catalyst composition, comprising:

• (I) preparing a slurry or a gel comprising Al or a compound thereof, a Group 2 element or a compound thereof, and a liquid medium;
• (II) spray drying the slurry or the gel to produce spray dried particles comprising the Al or the compound thereof and the Group 2 element or the compound thereof;
• and
• (III) calcining the spray dried particles under an oxidative atmosphere to produce calcined support particles comprising the Al or the compound thereof and the Group 2 element or the compound thereof,
• wherein, at least one of (i), (ii), and (iii) is met:
• (i) a Group 8-10 element is present in the slurry or the gel in the form of a Group 8-10 element-containing compound and the catalyst composition comprises catalyst particles comprising the calcined support particles having the Group 8-10 element disposed thereon,
• (ii) a Group 8-10 element is deposited on the spray dried particles by contacting the spray dried particles with a Group 8-10 element-containing compound to produce Group 8-10 element-containing spray dried particles and the catalyst composition comprises catalyst particles comprising the calcined support particles having the Group 8-10 element disposed thereon, and
• (iii) a Group 8-10 element is deposited on the calcined support particles by contacting the calcined support particles with a Group 8-10 element-containing compound to produce Group 8-10 element-containing calcined support particles and the process further comprises (IV) calcining the Group 8-10 element-containing calcined support particles to produce re-calcined support particles having the Group 8-10 element disposed thereon, wherein the catalyst composition comprises the re-calcined support particles, wherein:
• the catalyst particles comprise the Group 8-10 element in an amount of 0.001 wt % to 6 wt %,
• the catalyst particles comprise at least 0.5 wt % of the Group 2 element,
• the catalyst composition is free of Si or contains <0.5 wt % of Si, and
• all weight percent values are based on the weight of the calcined support particles or the re-calcined support particles.

A process for upgrading a hydrocarbon, comprising:

• (I) contacting a hydrocarbon-containing feed with a catalyst composition comprising a Group 8-10 element disposed on a support to effect one or more of dehydrogenation, dehydroaromatization, and dehydrocyclization of at least a portion of the hydrocarbon-containing feed to produce a coked catalyst composition and an effluent comprising one or more upgraded hydrocarbons and molecular hydrogen, wherein:
• the hydrocarbon-containing feed comprises one or more of C2-C16 linear or branched alkanes, or one or more of C4-C16 cyclic alkanes, or one or more C8-C16 alkyl aromatics, or a mixture thereof,
• the hydrocarbon-containing feed and catalyst composition are contacted at a temperature in a range of from 300° C. to 900° C., for a time period of ≤3 hours, under a hydrocarbon partial pressure of at least 20 kPa-absolute, wherein the hydrocarbon partial pressure is the total partial pressure of any C2-C16 alkanes and any C8-C16 alkyl aromatics in the hydrocarbon-containing feed,
• the support comprises Al and at least 0.5 wt % of a Group 2 element,
• the catalyst composition comprises the Group 8-10 element in an amount of 0.001 wt % to 6 wt %,
• the catalyst composition is free of Si or contains <0.5 wt % of Si,
• all weight percent values are based on the weight of the support, and
• the one or more upgraded hydrocarbons comprise at least one of a dehydrogenated hydrocarbon, a dehydroaromatized hydrocarbon, and a dehydrocyclized hydrocarbon.