Supported MoO3 catalysts in petroleum refining

The exploitation of supported metals and metallic oxides catalysts is increasingly becoming an issue of special interest in the petroleum industry. This is consistent with necessary need for mitigating separation, recycling and reusability problems coupled with increased production costs associated with free metals, unsupported or homogeneous catalyst systems. The current review focuses on the potentials of supported MoO3 catalysts in refining technology, considering associated advantages such as thermal stability, lower costs than for example Pt or Pd supported zeolites, resistance to sulphur and nitrogen poisons and improved activity under modified conditions. Available supports, preparation and characterisation methods and areas of prominent applications have been discussed. Supported MoO3 catalysts could be good future replacement materials in refining processes such as catalytic cracking, alkylation, hydrodesulphurisation, hydroisomerisation, hydrodenitrogenation and catalytic reforming.