Hydroconversion multi-metallic catalyst and method for making thereof

In a process for forming a bulk hydroprocessing catalyst, the process comprising:

• co-precipitating at reaction conditions at least a Group VIB metal precursor feed and at least a Promoter metal precursor feed selected from Group VIII, Group IIB, Group IIA, Group IVA and combinations thereof, to form a mixture comprising a catalyst precursor, wherein the reaction conditions comprise a temperature between 25-350° C. and a pressure between 0 to 3000 psig and a pH of 0-12;
• isolating the catalyst precursor from the mixture, forming a supernatant containing at least a Promoter metal residual and at least a Group VIB metal residual in an amount of at least 10 mole % of metal ions in the metal precursor feeds;
• calcining the catalyst precursor to form a catalyst precursor of the formula (X)b(Mo)c(W)dOz;
• wherein X is Ni or Co, the molar ratio of b:(c+d) is 0.5/1 to 3/1, the molar ratio of c:d is >0.01/1, and z=[2b+6 (c+d)]/2;
• and sulfiding the catalyst precursor forming the bulk catalyst, wherein the improvement comprising:
• contacting the supernatant with an ion exchange resin for a sufficient amount of time for at least 50% of metal ions in at least one of the metal residuals in the supernatant to be bound onto the resin, forming a first effluent stream containing unbound metal residuals;
• eluting the resin to produce an eluate stream containing metals ions previously bound onto the resin;
• and
• treating the first effluent stream or the eluate stream to recover at least 80 mol % of metal ions in the stream to form at least a metal precursor feed.

A process for forming a hydroprocessing catalyst composition, the method comprises:

• co-precipitating at reaction conditions at least one of a Group VIB metal precursor feed and at least a Promoter metal precursor feed selected from Group VIII, Group IIB, Group IIA, Group IVA and combinations thereof, to form a mixture comprising a catalyst precursor, wherein the reaction conditions comprise a temperature between 25-350° C. and a pressure between 0 to 3000 psig and a pH of 0-12;
• isolating the catalyst precursor from the mixture, forming a supernatant containing at least a Promoter metal residual and at least a Group VIB metal residual in an amount of at least 10% of the metal precursor feeds;
• treating the supernatant with at least an acid at a pre-selected pH to precipitate at least a Promoter metal residual and a Group VIB metal residual, forming a first effluent stream containing less than 50% of at least one of Promoter metal residual and a Group VIB metal residual;
• providing at least an exchange resin;
• contacting the supernatant with the ion exchange resin for a sufficient amount of time for at least 50 mole % of metal ions in at least one of the metal residuals in the supernatant to be bound onto the resin, forming a first effluent stream containing unbound metal residuals;
• eluting the resin to produce an eluate containing the metal ions previously bound onto the resin;
• recovering at least 80 mole % of metal ions in the unbound metal residuals in the first effluent stream or at least 80 mole % of the metal ions in the eluate to form at least a metal precursor feed;
• recycling the metal precursor feed to the co-precipitating step;
• and
• sulfiding the catalyst precursor forming the bulk catalyst.