Resid hydrotreating catalyst containing titania

A process for preparing a porous support material for supporting catalytically active metals suitable for the hydrodesulfurization of residuum hydrocarbon fractions under hydrotreating conditions, which process comprises:

• a) preparing a co-precipitated titania alumina powder having 5 wt % or less titania, based on the total weight of the titania alumina powder;
• wherein the titania alumina is co-precipitated from an aqueous alumina and titanyl salt composition at a temperature of 63° C. to 80° C.;
• b) peptizing the titania alumina powder;
• c) extruding the titania alumina powder to form a titania alumina extrudate;
• and calcining the extrudate at a temperature from about 500° C. to about 900° C. for about 1 hour to about 3 hours to obtain a titania alumina support having 5 wt % or less titania, based on the total weight of the support, wherein the support is characterized as having:
• (i) a total pore volume from about 0.5 to about 1.1 cubic centimeters per gramas determined by nitrogen porosimetry;
• (ii) at least 70% of the total pore volume in pores having a diameter of about 70 Å to about 130 Å as determined by nitrogen prosimetry;
• (iii) less than 5% of the total pore volume in pores having a diameter above 300 Å, as determined by nitrogen porosimetry, and
• (iv) less than 2% of the total pore volume in pores having a diameter above 1000 Å, as determined by mercury penetration porosimetry.