Hydrocracking process employing a novel iron-containing aluminosilicate

A process for hydrocracking heavy oil which comprises hydrocracking the heavy oil in the presence of a catalyst comprising a support of 10 to 90% by weight of an iron-containing aluminosilicate and 90 to 10% by weight of an inorganic oxide, and at least one metal belonging to Group VIB of the Periodic Table and at least one metal belonging to Group VIII deposited on the support, said iron-containing aluminosilicate having

• a composition of the formula expressed as oxides:
• aFe.sub.2 O.sub.3 .multidot.Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 .multidot.bSiO.sub.2 .multidot.nH.sub.2 O
• wherein n is a real number of 0 to 30, and a and b are real numbers satisfying the following relationships:
• 15<b<100, 0.005<a/b<0.15;
• having an inert iron compound content, (Fe).sub.dep, as calculated by a temperature programmed reduction, of not more than 35% of the total iron content;
• and
• when subject to a temperature programmed reduction, at least one temperature of a high-temperature reduction peak, Th (.degree.C.), within the following equation:
• 700.degree. C..ltoreq.Th.ltoreq.(-300.times.UD+8,320).degree.C.
• wherein UD is a lattice constant (.ANG.) of the iron-containing aluminosilicate, and
• said iron-containing aluminosilicate is prepared by
• (a) steam treating an aluminosilicate having a silica to alumina molar ratio of at least 3.5/1 to obtain a steam treated aluminosilicate,
• (b) contacting the steam treated aluminosilicate with a mineral acid, and
• (c) then contacting the steam treated aluminosilicate with an iron salt in the presence of said mineral acid without washing, drying or calcining after step (b).