Patent Publication Number: US-5294330-A

Title: Hydrocracking process with a catalyst comprising MCM-36

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is related to copending U.S. application Ser. No. 07/811,360, filed Dec. 20, 1991, U.S. Pat. No. 5,250,277 which is a continuation-in-part of copending U.S. application Ser. No. 07/776,718, filed Oct. 15, 1991, now abandoned, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 07/640,330, filed Jan. 11, 1991, now abandoned. Said Ser. No. 07/811,360 is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. Nos. 07/640,329; 07/640,339; and 07/640,341, each filed Jan. 11, 1991, each now abandoned. The entire disclosures of these applications are expressly incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND 
     This application relates to hydrocracking processes with catalysts comprising MCM-36. MCM-36 is a layered material, having layers which are spaced apart by a pillaring agent. MCM-36 has a characteristic X-ray diffraction pattern. 
     Many layered material are known which have three-dimensional structures which exhibit their strongest chemical bonding in only two dimensions. In such materials, the stronger chemical bonds are formed in two-dimensional planes and a three-dimensional solid is formed by stacking such planes on top of each other. However, the interactions between the planes are weaker than the chemical bonds holding an individual plane together. The weaker bonds generally arise from interlayer attractions such as Van der Waals forces, electrostatic interactions, and hydrogen bonding. In those situations where the layered structure has electronically neutral sheets interacting with each other solely through Van der Waals forces, a high degree of lubricity is manifested as the planes slide across each other without encountering the energy barriers that arise with strong interlayer bonding. Graphite is an example of such a material. The silicate layers of a number of clay materials are held together by electrostatic attraction mediated by ions located between the layers. In addition, hydrogen bonding interactions can occur directly between complementary sites on adjacent layers, or can be mediated by interlamellar bridging molecules. 
     Laminated materials such as clays may be modified to increase their surface area. In particular, the distance between the layers can be increased substantially by absorption of various swelling agents such as water, ethylene glycol, amines, ketones, etc., which enter the interlamellar space and push the layers apart. However, the interlamellar spaces of such layered materials tend to collapse when the molecules occupying the space are removed by, for example, exposing the clays to high temperatures. Accordingly, such layered materials having enhanced surface area are not suited for use in chemical processes involving even moderately severe conditions. 
     The extent of interlayer separation can be estimated by using standard techniques such as X-ray diffraction to determine the basal spacing, also known as &#34;repeat distance&#34; or &#34;d-spacing&#34;. These values indicate the distance between, for example, the uppermost margin of one layer with the uppermost margin of its adjoining layer. If the layer thickness is known, the interlayer spacing can be determined by subtracting the layer thickness from the basal spacing. 
     Various approaches have been taken to provide layered materials of enhanced interlayer distance having thermal stability. Most techniques rely upon the introduction of an inorganic &#34;pillaring&#34; agent between the layers of a layered material For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,216,188 incorporated herein by reference discloses a clay which is cross-linked with metal hydroxide prepared from a highly dilute colloidal solution containing fully separated unit layers and a cross-linking agent comprising a colloidal metal hydroxide solution. However, this method requires a highly dilute forming solution of clay (less than 1 g/l) in order to effect full layer separation prior to incorporation of the pillaring species, as well as positively charged species of cross linking agents. U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,739, incorporated herein by reference, relates to stable pillared interlayered clay prepared from smectite clays reacted with cationic metal complexes of metals such as aluminum and zirconium. The resulting products exhibit high interlayer separation and thermal stability. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,176,090, incorporated herein by reference, discloses a clay composition interlayered with polymeric cationic hydroxy metal complexes of metals such as aluminum, zirconium and titanium. Interlayer distances of up to 16 A are claimed although only distances restricted to about 9 A are exemplified for calcined samples. These distances are essentially unvariable and related to the specific size of the hydroxy metal complex. 
     Silicon-containing materials are believed to be a highly desirable species of intercalating agents owing to their high thermal stability characteristics. U.S. Pat. No. 4,367,163, incorporated herein by reference, describes a clay intercalated with silica by impregnating a clay substrate with a silicon-containing reactant such as an ionic silicon complex, e.g., silicon acetylacetonate, or a neutral species such as SiCl 4 . The clay may be swelled prior to or during silicon impregnation with a suitable polar solvent such as methylene chloride, acetone, benzaldehyde, tri- or tetraalkylammonium ions, or dimethylsulfoxide. This method, however, appears to provide only a monolayer of intercalated silica resulting in a product of small spacing between layers, about 2-3 A as determined by X-ray diffraction. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,859,648 describes layered oxide products of high thermal stability and surface area which contain interlayer polymeric oxides such as polymeric silica. These products are prepared by ion exchanging a layered metal oxide, such as layered titanium oxide, with organic cation, to spread the layers apart. A compound such as tetraethylorthosilicate, capable of forming a polymeric oxide, is thereafter introduced between the layers. The resulting product is treated to form polymeric oxide, e.g., by hydrolysis, to produce the layered oxide product. The resulting product may be employed as a catalyst material in the conversion of hydrocarbons. 
     Crystalline oxides include both naturally occurring and synthetic materials. Examples of such materials include porous solids known as zeolites. The structures of crystalline oxide zeolites may be described as containing corner-sharing tetrahedra having a three-dimensional four-connected net with T-atoms at the vertices of the net and O-atoms near the midpoints of the connecting lines. Further characteristics of certain zeolites are described in Collection of Simulated XRD Powder Patterns for Zeolites by Roland von Ballmoos, Butterworth Scientific Limited, 1984. 
     Synthetic zeolites are often prepared from aqueous reaction mixtures comprising sources of appropriate oxides. Organic directing agents may also be included in the reaction mixture for the purpose of influencing the production of a zeolite having the desired structure. The use of such directing agents is discussed in an article by Lok et al. entitled &#34;The Role of Organic Molecules in Molecular Sieve Synthesis&#34; appearing in Zeolites, Vol. 3, October, 1983, pp. 282-291. 
     After the components of the reaction mixture are properly mixed with one another, the reaction mixture is subjected to appropriate crystallization conditions. Such conditions usually involve heating of the reaction mixture to an elevated temperature possibly with stirring. Room temperature aging of the reaction mixture is also desirable in some instances. 
     After the crystallization of the reaction mixture is complete, the crystalline product may be recovered from the remainder of the reaction mixture, especially the liquid contents thereof. Such recovery may involve filtering the crystals and washing these crystals with water. However, in order to remove all of the undesired residue of the reaction mixture from the crystals, it is often necessary to subject the crystals to a high temperature calcination e.g., at 500° C., possibly in the presence of oxygen. Such a calcination treatment not only removes water from the crystals, but this treatment also serves to decompose and/or oxidize the residue of the organic directing agent which may be occluded in the pores of the crystals, possibly occupying ion exchange sites therein. 
     It has been discovered that a certain synthetic crystalline oxide undergoes a transformation during the synthesis thereof from an intermediate swellable layered state to a non-swellable final state having order in three dimensions, the layers being stacked upon one another in an orderly fashion. This transformation may occur during the drying of the recovered crystals, even at moderate temperatures, e.g., 110° C. or greater. By interrupting the synthesis of these materials prior to final calcination and intercepting these materials in their swellable intermediate state, it is possible to interpose materials such as swelling, pillaring or propping agents between these layers before the material is transformed into a non-swellable state. When the swollen, non-pillared form of these materials is calcined, these materials may be transformed into materials which have disorder in the axis perpendicular to the planes of the layers, due to disordered stacking of the layers upon one another. 
     The hydrocracking of hydrocarbons to produce lower boiling hydrocarbons and, in particular, hydrocarbons boiling in the motor fuel range, is an operation upon which a vast amount of time and effort has been spent in view of its commercial significance. Hydrocracking catalysts usually comprise a hydrogenation-dehydrogenation component deposited on an acidic support such as silica-alumina, silica-magnesia, silica-zirconia, alumina, acid-treated clays, zeolites, and the like. 
     Zeolites have been found to be particularly effective in the catalytic hydrocracking of a gas oil to produce motor fuels, and such has been described in many U.S. patents including U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,140,249; 3,140,251; 3,140,252; 3,140,253; and 3,271,418. 
     A catalytic hydrocracking process utilizing a catalyst comprising a zeolite dispersed in a matrix of other components such as nickel, tungsten, and silica-alumina is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,617,498. 
     A hydrocracking catalyst comprising a zeolite and a hydrogenation-dehydrogenation component such as nickel-tungsten sulfide is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,001,106. 
     The hydrocracking process described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,758,402 utilizes a catalyst possessing a large-pore size zeolite component such as zeolite X or Y and an intermediate-pore size zeolite component such as ZSM-5 with a hydrogenation-dehydrogenation component such as nickel-tungsten being associated with at least one of the zeolites. 
     Hydrocarbon conversion utilizing a catalyst comprising a zeolite, such as ZSM-5, having a zeolite particle diameter in the range of 0.005 micron to 0.1 micron and in some instances containing a hydrogenation-dehydrogenation component is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,926,782. 
     The hydrocracking of lube oil stocks employing a catalyst comprising a hydrogenation component and a zeolite such as ZSM-5 is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,755,145. 
     Hydrocracking operations featuring the use of dual reaction stages, or zones, and/or two different catalysts are also known. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,535,225 discloses a dual-catalyst hydrocracking process in which a hydrocarbon feedstock is initially contacted with a first catalyst comprising a hydrogenation component and a component selected from the group consisting of alumina and silica-alumina and subsequently with a second catalyst provided as a silica-based gel, a hydrogenation component and a zeolite in the ammonia or hydrogen form and free of any loading metal or metals. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,536,604 discloses a hydrofining-hydrocracking process in which a hydrocarbon feed containing 300 to 10,000 ppm organic nitrogen is contacted with a hydrofining catalyst comprising a Group VI or Group VIII metal on an alumina or silica-alumina support whereby the organic nitrogen content of the feed is reduced to a level of 10 ppm to 200 ppm, a substantial portion of the resulting hydrofined effluent thereafter being contacted with a second catalyst comprising a gel matrix comprising at least 15 wt. % silica, alumina, nickel and/or cobalt, molybdenum and/or tungsten, and a zeolite in the ammonia or hydrogen form and fee of any loading metal. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,536,605 discloses a hydrofining-hydrocracking process in which a hydrocarbon feed containing substantial amounts of organic nitrogen is contacted in a hydrofining reaction zone under hydrofining conditions with a catalyst comprising a gel matrix comprising silica and alumina and nickel and/or cobalt and molybdenum and/or tungsten and a zeolite having a silica-to-alumina ratio above about 2.15, a unit cell size below about 24.65 Angstroms (A), and a sodium content below about 3 wt. % to produce a hydrofined product of reduced nitrogen content. The effluent from the hydrofining reaction zone is then hydrocracked in a hydrocracking reaction zone under hydrocracking conditions in the presence of hydrogen and a hydrocracking catalyst. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,558,471 discloses a two-catalyst process wherein a hydrocarbon feedstock is first hydrotreated in the presence of a catalyst comprising a silica-alumina gel matrix containing nickel or cobalt, or both, and molybdenum or tungsten, or both, and a zeolite substantially in the ammonia or hydrogen form free of any catalytic loading metal or metals, the zeolite having a silica-to-alumina ratio above about 2.15, unit cell size below about 24.65 A, and a sodium content below about 3 wt. %, calculated as Na 2  O, to produce a first effluent which is thereafter hydrocracked in a second reaction zone in the presence of a hydrocracking catalyst which may be the same catalyst used in the first reaction zone or a conventional hydrocracking catalyst. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,788,974 discloses a two-catalyst hydrocracking process wherein a hydrocarbon oil feedstock containing from about 0.01 to 0.5 wt. % nitrogen compounds is contacted in a first hydrocracking zone with a zeolite catalyst of the faujasite type in combination with a nickel/tungsten hydrogenation component to provide an effluent which is contacted in a second separate hydrocracking zone with a hydrocracking catalyst, preferably zeolite X or Y. 
     In U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,894,930 and 4,054,539, a hydrocracking process is disclosed which employs a catalyst comprising a hydrogenation component, an ultrastable zeolite and a silica-alumina cracking catalyst. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,612,108 discloses a process in which an initial hydrotreating stage employing a conventional hydrotreating catalyst is followed by a hydrocracking stage employing zeolite Beta as the hydrocracking catalyst. 
     Catalytic hydrocracking of a hydrocarbon feedstock can in certain cases be accompanied by dewaxing, that is selective conversion of straight-chain and slightly branched paraffins, such that the pour point of the product is reduced. See U.S. Pat. No. 3,668,113. 
     It is known to produce a high quality lube base stock oil by subjecting a waxy crude oil fraction to solvent refining, followed by catalytic dewaxing over ZSM-5, with subsequent hydrotreating of the lube base stock as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,181,598. Zeolites such as ZSM-5, ZSM-11, ZSM-12, ZSM-23, ZSM-35, and ZSM-38 have been proposed for dewaxing processes and their use is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,894,938; 4,176,050; 4,181,598; 4,222,855; 4,229,282; and 4,247,388. A dewaxing process employing synthetic offretite is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,259,174. 
     The use of zeolite Beta as catalyst for dewaxing hydrocarbon feedstocks such as distillate fuel oils by isomerization is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,419,220 and 4,501,926. U.S. Pat. No. 4,486,296 teaches hydrodewaxing and hydrocracking of a hydrocarbon feedstock over a three-component catalyst including zeolite Beta. Dewaxing a paraffin-containing hydrocarbon feedstock employing a hydrotreating step prior to the dewaxing step over zeolite Beta catalyst is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,518,485 and 4,612,108. U.S. Pat. No. 4,481,104 discloses distillate-selective hydrocracking using a large-pore, high silica, low acidity catalyst, e.g. zeolite Beta catalyst. Hydrocracking C 5  + naphthas over a catalyst comprising zeolite Beta is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,923,641. A dewaxing process using a noble metal/zeolite Beta catalyst followed by a base metal/zeolite Beta catalyst is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,554,065. U.S. Pat. No. 4,541,919 discloses a dewaxing process using a large-pore zeolite catalyst such as zeolite Beta which has been selectively coked. U.S. Pat. No. 4,435,275 describes a moderate pressure hydrocracking process which may use a catalyst comprising zeolite Beta for producing low pour point distillates. 
     European patent application No. 94,827 discloses the use of zeolite Beta for hydrocracking and compares it for that process with other hydrocracking catalyst such as high silica zeolite Y, zeolite X, and ZSM-20 (as described in European patent application No. 98,040). U.S. Pat. No. 4,612,108 describes the hydrocracking and dewaxing of waxy petroleum fractions by passing the fractions over a hydrocracking catalyst comprising zeolite Beta and a matrix material in the presence of hydrogen and under hydrocracking conditions, the proportion of zeolite Beta in the hydrocracking catalyst increasing in the direction in which the fraction is passed. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,601,993 describes the dewaxing of a lubricating oil feedstock by passing the waxy fraction over a catalyst bed containing a mixture of medium-pore size zeolite and large-pore zeolite having a Constraint Index of less than 2 and having a hydroisomerization activity in the presence of a hydrogen component. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,358,362 discloses a dewaxing process in which the feed is subjected to pretreatment with a zeolite sorbent to sorb zeolite poisons present therein. 
     It is known to produce lubricating oil of improved properties by hydrotreating the lubricating oil base stock in the presence of ZSM-39 containing cobalt and molybdenum, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,395,327. 
     U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,968,402; 5,000,839; and 5,013,422 describe various hydrocracking reactions conducted over catalysts comprising MCM-22. 
     SUMMARY 
     There is provided a hydrocracking process comprising the step of contacting a hydrocarbon stream under hydrocracking conditions and in the presence of hydrogen with a hydrocracking catalyst composition comprising MCM-36. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an X-ray diffraction pattern of an as-synthesized form of a layered material which may be swollen and pillared. 
     FIG. 2 is an X-ray diffraction pattern of a swollen form of the material having the X-ray diffraction pattern shown in FIG. 1. 
     FIG. 3 is an X-ray diffraction pattern of the pillared form of the layered material having the X-ray diffraction pattern shown in FIG. 1. 
     FIG. 4 is an X-ray diffraction pattern of the calcined form of the swollen material having the X-ray diffraction pattern shown in FIG. 2. 
    
    
     EMBODIMENTS 
     The present process is especially advantageous for hydrocracking heavier waxy fractions, e.g., those having boiling points of 343° C. (650° F.) or higher, e.g., light virgin gas oils, light catalytic cycle oils, and light vacuum gas oils, and their mixtures. The present process enables such heavy feedstocks to be converted to distillate range products boiling below 343° C. (650° F.); but in contrast to prior processes which use large-pore catalysts such as zeolite Y, the consumption of hydrogen is less, and, for a given rate of conversion, product pour point is lower; that is, the hydrocracking is accompanied by dewaxing. In contrast to dewaxing processes using more shape-selective catalysts, bulk conversion, including cracking of aromatic components, takes place, ensuring acceptably low viscosity in the distillate range product. Thus, the present process is capable of effecting bulk conversion together with simultaneous dewaxing. Moreover, this is achieved with a reduced hydrogen consumption as compared to other types of processes. It is also possible to operate at partial conversion, thus effecting economies in hydrogen consumption while still meeting product pour point and viscosity requirements. 
     While not intending to be bound by theory, it is believed that during conversion, aromatics and naphthenes which are present in the feedstock undergo hydrocracking reactions such as dealkylation, ring opening, and cracking, followed by hydrogenation. The long-chain normal and slightly-branched paraffins which are present in the feedstock, together with the paraffins produced by the hydrocracking of the aromatics are, in addition, converted into products which are less waxy than the straight-chain paraffins, thereby effecting simultaneous dewaxing. The process of the present invention produces not only a reduction in the viscosity of the original feed by hydrocracking but also a simultaneous reduction in its pour point by hydrodewaxing. 
     Suitable feedstocks for the present invention range from relatively light distillate fractions up to high boiling stocks such as whole crude petroleum, reduced crudes, vacuum tower residua, propane deasphalted residua, e.g., bright stock, cycle oils, FCC tower bottoms, gas oils, vacuum gas oils, deasphalted residua, and other heavy oils. The feedstock will normally be a C 10  + feedstock, since light oils will usually be free of significant quantities of waxy components. However, the process is also particularly useful with waxy distillate stocks such as gas oils, kerosenes, jet fuels, lubricating oil stocks, heating oils, hydrotreated oil stock, furfural-extracted lubricating oil stock, and other distillate fractions whose pour point and viscosity properties need to be maintained within certain specification limits. Lubricating oil stocks, for example, will generally boil above about 230° C. (450° F.), and more usually above 315° C. (600° F.). For purposes of this invention, lubricating oil or lube oil is that part of hydrocarbon feedstock having a boiling point of 315° C. (600° F.) or higher, as determined by ASTM D-1160 test method. 
     The hydrocarbon feedstocks which can be treated by the hydrocracking process of the present invention will typically boil at a temperature above 150° C. (300° F.). Advantageously, the feedstocks will be those which boil within the range of 177° C. to 538° C. (350° F. to 1000° F.). The feedstocks can contain a substantial amount of nitrogen, e.g., at least 10 ppm nitrogen, and even greater than 500 ppm in the form of organic nitrogen compounds. The feeds can also have a significant sulfur content, ranging from 0.1 wt. % to 3 wt. % or higher. If desired, the feeds can be treated in a known or conventional manner to reduce the sulfur and/or nitrogen content thereof. 
     MCM-36 may be prepared from an intermediate material which is crystallized in the presence of, e.g., a hexamethyleneimine directing agent and which, if calcined, without being swollen would be transformed into a material having an X-ray diffraction pattern as shown in Table 1. 
     
                       TABLE 1                                                     
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Interplanar        Relative Intensity,                                    
d-Spacing (A)      I/I.sub.o × 100                                  
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30.0 ± 2.2      w-m                                                    
22.1 ± 1.3      w                                                      
12.36 ± 0.2     m-vs                                                   
11.03 ± 0.2     m-s                                                    
8.83 ± 0.14     m-vs                                                   
6.86 ± 0.14     w-m                                                    
6.18 ± 0.12     m-vs                                                   
6.00 ± 0.10     w-m                                                    
5.54 ± 0.10     w-m                                                    
4.92 ± 0.09     w                                                      
4.64 ± 0.08     w                                                      
4.41 ± 0.08     w-m                                                    
4.25 ± 0.08     w                                                      
4.10 ± 0.07     w-s                                                    
4.06 ± 0.07     w-s                                                    
3.91 ± 0.07     m-vs                                                   
3.75 ± 0.06     w-m                                                    
3.56 ± 0.06     w-m                                                    
3.42 ± 0.06     vs                                                     
3.30 ± 0.05     w-m                                                    
3.20 ± 0.05     w-m                                                    
3.14 ± 0.05     w-m                                                    
3.07 ± 0.05     w                                                      
2.99 ± 0.05     w                                                      
2.82 ± 0.05     w                                                      
2.78 ± 0.05     w                                                      
2.68 ± 0.05     w                                                      
2.59 ± 0.05     w                                                      
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     The values in this Table and like tables presented hereinafter were determined by standard techniques. The radiation was the K-alpha doublet of copper and a diffractometer equipped with a scintillation counter and an associated computer was used. The peak heights, I, and the positions as a function of 2 theta, where theta is the Bragg angle, were determined using algorithms on the computer associated with the diffractometer. From these, the relative intensities, 100 I/I o , where I o  is the intensity of the strongest line or peak, and d (obs.) the interplanar spacing in Angstrom Units (A), corresponding to the recorded lines, were determined. In Tables 1-8, the relative intensities are given in terms of the symbols w=weak, m=medium, s=strong and vs=very strong. In terms of intensities, these may be generally designated as follows: 
     
         ______________________________________                                    
        w =               0-20                                            
        m =              20-40                                            
        s =              40-60                                            
        vs =             60-100                                           
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     The material having the X-ray diffraction pattern of Table 1 is known as MCM-22 and is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,954,325, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. This material can be prepared from a reaction mixture containing sources of alkali or alkaline earth metal (M), e.g., sodium or potassium, cation, an oxide of trivalent element X, e.g., aluminum, an oxide of tetravalent element Y, e.g., silicon, an organic (R) directing agent, hereinafter more particularly described, and water, said reaction mixture having a composition, in terms of mole ratios of oxides, within the following ranges: 
     
         ______________________________________                                    
Reactants      Useful   Preferred                                         
______________________________________                                    
YO.sub.2 /X.sub.2 O.sub.3                                                 
                10-80   10-60                                             
H.sub.2 O/YO.sub.2                                                        
                 5-100  10-50                                             
OH.sup.- /YO.sub.2                                                        
               0.01-1.0 0.1-0.5                                           
M/YO.sub.2     0.01-2.0 0.1-1.0                                           
R/YO.sub.2     0.05-1.0 0.1-0.5                                           
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     In the synthesis method for preparing the material having the X-ray diffraction pattern of Table 1, the source of YO 2  must be comprised predominately of solid YO 2 ,for example at least about 30 wt. % solid YO 2  in order to obtain the desired crystal product. Where YO 2  is silica, the use of a silica source containing at least about 30 wt. % solid silica, e.g., Ultrasil (a precipitated, spray dried silica containing about 90 wt. % silica) or HiSil (a precipitated hydrated SiO 2  containing about 87 wt. % silica, about 6 wt. % free H 2  O and about 4.5 wt. % bound H 2  O of hydration and having a particle size of about 0.02 micron) favors crystal formation from the above mixture and is a distinct improvement over the synthesis method taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,439,409. If another source of oxide of silicon e.g., Q-Brand (a sodium silicate comprised of about 28.8 wt. % SiO 2 , 8.9 wt. % Na 2  O and  62.3 wt. % H 2  O) is used, crystallization yields little or none of the crystalline material having the X-ray diffraction pattern of Table 1. Impurity phases of other crystal structures, e.g., ZSM-12, are prepared in the latter circumstance. Preferably, therefore, the YO 2 , e.g., silica, source contains at least about 30 wt. % solid YO 2 , e.g., silica, and more preferably at least about 40 wt. % solid YO 2 , e.g., silica. 
     Crystallization of the crystalline material having the X-ray diffraction pattern of Table 1 can be carried out at either static or stirred conditions in a suitable reactor vessel, such as for example, polypropylene jars or teflon lined or stainless steel autoclaves. The total useful range of temperatures for crystallization is from about 80° C. to about 225° C. for a time sufficient for crystallization to occur at the temperature used, e.g., from about 24 hours to about 60 days. Thereafter, the crystals are separated from the liquid and recovered. 
     The organic directing agent for use in synthesizing the present crystalline material from the above reaction mixture may be hexamethyleneimine which has the following structural formula: ##STR1## Other organic directing agents which may be used include 1,4-diazacycloheptane, azacyclooctane, aminocyclohexane, aminocycloheptane, aminocyclopentane, N,N,N-trimethyl-1-adamantanammonium ions, and N,N,N-trimethyl-2-adamantanammonium ions. In general, the organic directing agent may be selected from the group consisting of heterocyclic imines, cycloalkyl amines and adamantane quaternary ammonium ions. 
     It should be realized that the reaction mixture components can be supplied by more than one source. The reaction mixture can be prepared either batchwise or continuously. Crystal size and crystallization time of the crystalline material will vary with the nature of the reaction mixture employed and the crystallization conditions. 
     Synthesis of crystals may be facilitated by the presence of at least 0.01 percent, e.g., 0.10 percent or 1 percent, seed crystals (based on total weight) of crystalline product. 
     The crystalline material having the X-ray diffraction pattern of Table 1 passes through an intermediate stage. The material at this intermediate stage has a different X-ray diffraction pattern than that set forth in Table 1. It has further been discovered that this intermediate material is swellable with the use of suitable swelling agents such as cetyltrimethylammonium compounds, e.g., cetyltrimethylammonium hydroxide. However, when this swollen intermediate material is calcined, even under mild conditions, whereby the swelling agent is removed, the material can no longer be swollen with such swelling agent. By way of contrast it is noted that various layered silicates such as magadiite and kenyaite may be swellable with cetyltrimethylammonium compounds both prior to and after mild calcination. 
     The present swollen products may have relatively high interplanar distance (d-spacing), e.g., greater than about 6 Angstrom, e.g., greater than about 10 Angstrom and even exceeding 30 Angstrom. These swollen materials may be converted into pillared materials. These pillared materials, particularly silica pillared materials, may be capable of being exposed to severe conditions such as those encountered in calcining, e.g., at temperatures of about 450° C. for about two or more hours, e.g., four hours, in nitrogen or air, without significant decrease, e.g., less than about 10%, in interlayer distance. 
     The material having the X-ray diffraction pattern of Table 1, when intercepted in the swellable, intermediate state, prior to final calcination, may have the X-ray diffraction pattern shown in Table 2. 
     
                       TABLE 2                                                     
______________________________________                                    
d(A)                   I/I.sub.o                                          
______________________________________                                    
13.53 ± 0.2         m-vs                                               
12.38 ± 0.2         m-vs                                               
11.13 ± 0.2         w-s                                                
9.15 ± 0.15         w-s                                                
6.89 ± 0.15         w-m                                                
4.47 ± 0.10         w-m                                                
3.95 ± 0.08         w-vs                                               
3.56 ± 0.06         w-m                                                
3.43 ± 0.06         m-vs                                               
3.36 ± 0.05         w-s                                                
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     An X-ray diffraction pattern trace for an example of such an as-synthesized, swellable material is shown in FIG. 1. A particular example of such an as-synthesized, swellable material is the material of Example 1 of the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,954,325. This material of Example 1 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,954,325 has the X-ray diffraction pattern given in the following Table 3. 
     
                       TABLE 3                                                     
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2 Theta        d(A)    I/I.sub.o × 100                              
______________________________________                                    
3.1            28.5    14                                                 
3.9            22.7    &lt;1                                                 
6.53           13.53   36                                                 
7.14           12.38   100                                                
7.94           11.13   34                                                 
9.67           9.15    20                                                 
12.85          6.89    6                                                  
13.26          6.68    4                                                  
14.36          6.17    2                                                  
14.70          6.03    5                                                  
15.85          5.59    4                                                  
19.00          4.67    2                                                  
19.85          4.47    22                                                 
21.56          4.12    10                                                 
21.94          4.05    19                                                 
22.53          3.95    21                                                 
23.59          3.77    13                                                 
24.98          3.56    20                                                 
25.98          3.43    55                                                 
26.56          3.36    23                                                 
29.15          3.06    4                                                  
31.58          2.833   3                                                  
32.34          2.768   2                                                  
33.48          2.676   5                                                  
34.87          2.573   1                                                  
36.34          2.472   2                                                  
37.18          2.418   1                                                  
37.82          2.379   5                                                  
______________________________________                                    
 
    
     Taking into account certain modifications, this swellable material may be swollen and pillared by methods generally discussed in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,859,648, the entire disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference. The present modifications are discussed hereinafter and include the selection of proper swelling pH and swelling agent. 
     Upon being swollen with a suitable swelling agent, such as a cetyltrimethylammonium compound, the swollen material may have the X-ray diffraction pattern shown in Table 4. 
     
                       TABLE 4                                                     
______________________________________                                    
d(A)                   I/I.sub.o                                          
______________________________________                                    
&gt;32.2                  vs                                                 
12.41 ± 0.25        w-s                                                
3.44 ± 0.07         w-s                                                
______________________________________                                    
 
    
     The X-ray diffraction pattern of this swollen material may have additional lines with a d(A) spacing less than the line at 12.41±0.25, but none of said additional lines have an intensity greater than the line at the d(A) spacing of 12.41±0.25 or at 3.44±0.07, whichever is more intense. More particularly, the X-ray diffraction pattern of this swollen material may have the lines shown in the following Table 5. 
     
                       TABLE 5                                                     
______________________________________                                    
d(A)                   I/I.sub.o                                          
______________________________________                                    
&gt;32.2                  vs                                                 
12.41 ± 0.25        w-s                                                
11.04 ± 0.22        w                                                  
9.28 ± 0.19         w                                                  
6.92 ± 0.14         w                                                  
4.48 ± 0.09         w-m                                                
3.96 ± 0.08         w-m                                                
3.57 ± 0.07         w-m                                                
3.44 ± 0.07         w-s                                                
3.35 ± 0.07         w                                                  
______________________________________                                    
 
    
     Even further lines may be revealed upon better resolution of the X-ray diffraction pattern. For example, the X-ray diffraction pattern may have additional lines at the following d(A) spacings (intensities given in parentheses): 16.7±4.0 (w-m); 6.11±0.24 (w); 4.05±0.08 (w); and 3.80±0.08 (w). 
     In the region with d&lt;9 A, the pattern for the swollen material is essentially like the one given in Table 2 for the unswollen material, but with the possibility of broadening of peaks. 
     An X-ray diffraction pattern trace for an example of such a swollen material is shown in FIG. 2. The upper profile is a 10-fold magnification of the lower profile in FIG. 2. 
     Upon being pillared with a suitable polymeric oxide, such as polymeric silica, the swollen material having the X-ray diffraction pattern shown in Table 4 may be converted into a material having the X-ray diffraction pattern shown in Table 6. 
     
                       TABLE 6                                                     
______________________________________                                    
d(A)                   I/I.sub.o                                          
______________________________________                                    
&gt;32.2                  vs                                                 
12.38 ± 0.25        w-m                                                
3.42 ± 0.07         w-m                                                
______________________________________                                    
 
    
     The X-ray diffraction pattern of this pillared material may have additional lines with a d(A) spacing less than the line at 12.38±0.25, but none of said additional lines have an intensity greater than the line at the d(A) spacing of 12.38±0.25 or 3.42±0.07, whichever is more intense. More particularly, the X-ray diffraction pattern of this pillared material may have the lines shown in the following Table 7. 
     
                       TABLE 7                                                     
______________________________________                                    
d(A)                   I/I.sub.o                                          
______________________________________                                    
&gt;32.2                  vs                                                 
12.38 ± 0.25        w-m                                                
10.94 ± 0.22        w-m                                                
9.01 ± 0.18         w                                                  
6.88 ± 0.14         w                                                  
6.16 ± 0.12         w-m                                                
3.93 ± 0.08         w-m                                                
3.55 ± 0.07         w                                                  
3.42 ± 0.07         w-m                                                
3.33 ± 0.07         w-m                                                
______________________________________                                    
 
    
     Even further lines may be revealed upon better resolution of the X-ray diffraction pattern. For example, the X-ray diffraction pattern may have additional lines at the following d(A) spacings (intensities given in parentheses): 5.59±0.11 (w); 4.42±0.09 (w); 4.11±0.08 (w); 4.04±0.08 (w); and 3.76±0.08 (w). 
     An X-ray diffraction pattern trace for an example of such a pillared material is given in FIG. 3. The upper profile is a 10-fold magnification of the lower profile in FIG. 3. 
     If the material swollen with a suitable swelling agent is calcined without prior pillaring another material is produced. For example, if the material which is swollen but not pillared is calcined in air for 6 hours at 540° C., a very strong line at a d(A) spacing of greater than 32.2 will no longer be observed. By way of contrast, when the swollen, pillared material is calcined in air for 6 hours at 540° C., a very strong line at a d(A) spacing of greater than 32.2 will still be observed, although the precise position of the line may shift. 
     An example of a swollen, non-pillared material, which has been calcined, has the pattern as shown in Table 8. 
     
                       TABLE 8                                                     
______________________________________                                    
2 Theta    d(A)           I/I.sub.o × 100                           
______________________________________                                    
3.8        23.3           12                                              
7.02       12.59          100                                             
8.02       11.02          20                                              
9.66       9.16           14                                              
12.77      6.93           7                                               
14.34      6.18           45                                              
15.75      5.63           8                                               
18.19      4.88           3                                               
18.94      4.69           3                                               
19.92      4.46           13     broad                                    
21.52      4.13           13     shoulder                                 
21.94      4.05           18                                              
22.55      3.94           32                                              
23.58      3.77           16                                              
24.99      3.56           20                                              
25.94      3.43           61                                              
26.73      3.33           19                                              
31.60      2.831          3                                               
33.41      2.682          4                                               
34.62      2.591          3      broad                                    
36.36      2.471          1                                               
37.81      2.379          4                                               
______________________________________                                    
 
    
     The X-ray powder pattern shown in Table 8 is similar to that shown in Table 1 except that most of the peaks in Table 8 are much broader than those in Table 1. 
     An X-ray diffraction pattern trace for an example of the calcined material corresponding to Table 8 is given in FIG. 4. 
     As mentioned previously, the calcined material corresponding to the X-ray diffraction pattern of Table 1 is designated MCM-22. For the purposes of the present disclosure, the pillared material corresponding to the X-ray diffraction pattern of Table 6 is designated herein as MCM-36. The swollen material corresponding to the X-ray diffraction pattern of Table 4 is designated herein as the swollen MCM-22 precursor. The as-synthesized material corresponding to the X-ray diffraction pattern of Table 2 is referred to herein, simply, as the MCM-22 precursor. 
     The layers of the swollen material of this disclosure may have a composition involving the molar relationship: 
     
         X.sub.2 O.sub.3 :(n)YO.sub.2, 
    
     wherein X is a trivalent element, such as aluminum, boron, iron and/or gallium, preferably aluminum, Y is a tetravalent element such as silicon and/or germanium, preferably silicon, and n is at least about 5, usually from about 10 to about 150, more usually from about 10 to about 60, and even more usually from about 10 to about 40. 
     To the extent that the layers of the swollen MCM-22 precursor and MCM-36 have negative charges, these negative charges are balanced with cations. For example, expressed in terms of moles of oxides, the layers of the swollen MCM-22 precursor and MCM-36 may have a ratio of 0.5 to 1.5 R 2  O:X 2  O 3 , where R is a monovalent cation or l/m of a cation of valency m. 
     The pillared material of the present disclosure adsorbs significant amounts of commonly used test adsorbate materials, i.e., cyclohexane, n-hexane and water. Adsorption capacities for the pillared material, especially the silica pillared material, of the present invention may range at room temperature as follows: 
     
         ______________________________________                                    
Adsorbate    Capacity, Wt. Percent                                        
______________________________________                                    
n-hexane     17-40                                                        
cyclohexane  17-40                                                        
water        10-40                                                        
______________________________________                                    
 
    
     wherein cyclohexane and n-hexane sorption are measured at 20 Torr and water sorption is measured at 12 Torr. 
     The swellable material, used to form the swollen material of the present disclosure, may be initially treated with a swelling agent. Such swelling agents are materials which cause the swellable layers to separate by becoming incorporated into the interspathic region of these layers The swelling agents are removable by calcination, preferably in an oxidizing atmosphere, whereby the swelling agent becomes decomposed and/or oxidized. 
     Suitable swelling agents may comprise a source of organic cation, such as quaternary organoammonium or organophosphonium cations, in order to effect an exchange of interspathic cations. Organoammonium cations, such as n-octylammonium, showed smaller swelling efficiency than, for example, cetyltrimethylammonium. A pH range of 11 to 14, preferably 12.5 to 13.5 is generally employed during treatment with the swelling agent. 
     The as-synthesized material is preferably not dried prior to being swollen. This as-synthesized material may be in the form of a wet cake having a solids content of less than 30 % by weight, e.g., 25 wt % or less. 
     The foregoing swelling treatment results in the formation of a layered oxide of enhanced interlayer separation depending upon the size of the organic cation introduced. In one embodiment, a series of organic cation exchanges can be carried out. For example, an organic cation may be exchanged with an organic cation of greater size, thus increasing the interlayer separation in a step-wise fashion. When contact of the layered oxide with the swelling agent is conducted in aqueous medium, water is trapped between the layers of the swollen species. 
     The organic-swollen species may be treated with a compound capable of conversion, e.g., by hydrolysis and/or calcination, to pillars of an oxide, preferably to a polymeric oxide. Where the treatment involves hydrolysis, this treatment may be carried out using the water already present in organic-swollen material. In this case, the extent of hydrolysis may be modified by varying the extent to which the organic-swollen species is dried prior to addition of the polymeric oxide precursor. 
     It is preferred that the organic cation deposited between the layers be capable of being removed from the pillared material without substantial disturbance or removal of the interspathic polymeric oxide. For example, organic cations such as cetyltrimethylammonium may be removed by exposure to elevated temperatures, e.g., calcination, in nitrogen or air, or by chemical oxidation preferably after the interspathic polymeric oxide precursor has been converted to the polymeric oxide pillars in order to form the pillared layered product. 
     These pillared layered products, especially when calcined, exhibit high surface area, e.g., greater than 500 m 2  /g, and thermal and hydrothermal stability making them highly useful as catalysts or catalytic supports, for hydrocarbon conversion processes, for example, alkylation. 
     Insertion of the organic cation between the adjoining layers serves to physically separate the layers in such a way as to make the layered material receptive to the interlayer addition of a polymeric oxide precursor. In particular, cetyltrimethylammonium cations have been found useful. These cations are readily incorporated within the interlayer spaces of the layered oxide serving to prop open the layers in such a way as to allow incorporation of the polymeric oxide precursor. The extent of the interlayer spacing can be controlled by the size of the organoammonium ion employed. 
     Interspathic oxide pillars, which may be formed between the layers of the propped or swollen oxide material, may include an oxide, preferably a polymeric oxide, of zirconium or titanium or more preferably of an element selected from Group IVB of the Periodic Table (Fischer Scientific Company Cat. No. 5-702-10, 1978), other than carbon, i.e., silicon, germanium, tin and lead. Other suitable oxides include those of Group VA, e.g., V, Nb, and Ta, those of Group IIA, e.g., Mg or those of Group IIIB, e.g., B. Most preferably, the pillars include polymeric silica. In addition, the oxide pillars may include an element which provides catalytically active acid sites in the pillars, preferably aluminum. 
     The oxide pillars are formed from a precursor material which may be introduced between the layers of the organic &#34;propped&#34; species as an ionic or electrically neutral compound of the desired elements, e.g., those of Group IVB. The precursor material may be an organometallic compound which is a liquid under ambient conditions. In particular, hydrolyzable compounds, e.g., alkoxides, of the desired elements of the pillars may be utilized as the precursors. Suitable polymeric silica precursor materials include tetraalkylsilicates, e.g., tetrapropylorthosilicate, tetramethylorthosilicate and, most preferably, tetraethylorthosilicate. Suitable polymeric silica precursor materials also include quaternary ammonium silicates, e.g., tetramethylammonium silicate (i.e. TMA silicate). Where the pillars also include polymeric alumina, a hydrolyzable aluminum compound can be contacted with the organic &#34;propped&#34; species before, after or simultaneously with the contacting of the propped layered oxide with the silicon compound. Preferably, the hydrolyzable aluminum compound employed is an aluminum alkoxide, e.g., aluminum isopropoxide. If the pillars are to include titania, a hydrolyzable titanium compound such as titanium alkoxide, e.g., titanium isopropoxide, may be used. 
     After calcination to remove the organic propping agent, the final pillared product may contain residual exchangeable cations. Such residual cations in the layered material can be ion exchanged by known methods with other cationic species to provide or alter the catalytic activity of the pillared product. Suitable replacement cations include cesium, cerium, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, manganese, platinum, lanthanum, aluminum, ammonium, hydronium and mixtures thereof. 
     Particular procedures for intercalating layered materials with metal oxide pillars are described in U.S. Pat. No. Nos. 4,831,005; 4,831,006; and 4,929,587. The entire disclosures of these patents are expressly incorporated herein by reference. U.S. Pat. No. 4,831,005 describes plural treatments with the pillar precursor. U.S. Pat. No. 4,929,587 describes the use of an inert atmosphere, such as nitrogen, to minimize the formation of extralaminar polymeric oxide during the contact with the pillar precursor. U.S. Pat. No. 4,831,006 describes the use of elevated temperatures during the formation of the pillar precursor. 
     The resulting pillared products exhibit thermal stability at temperatures of 450° C. or even higher as well as substantial sorption capacities (as much as 17 to 40 wt % for C 6  hydrocarbon). The pillared products may possess a basal spacing of at least about 32.2 A and surface areas greater than 500 m 2  /g. 
     The hydrocracking catalyst described herein preferably contains a hydrogenating component such as tungsten, vanadium, molybdenum, rhenium, nickel, cobalt, chromium, manganese, or a noble metal such as platinum or palladium. Such component can be exchanged into the composition, impregnated therein or intimately physically admixed therewith. Such component can be impregnated in, or on, the layered material such as, for example, by, in the case of platinum, treating the layered material with a solution containing a platinum metal-containing ion. Thus, suitable platinum compounds for this purpose include chloroplatinic acid, platinous chloride and various compounds containing the platinum amine complex. 
     The layered material may be subjected to thermal treatment, e.g., to decompose organoammonium ions. This thermal treatment is generally performed by heating one of these forms at a temperature of at least about 370° C. for at least 1 minute and generally not longer than 20 hours. While subatmospheric pressure can be employed for the thermal treatment, atmospheric pressure is preferred simply for reasons of convenience. 
     When the swollen layered material described herein is calcined, without first being contacted with a pillaring material or a pillar precursor, the layers collapse and condense upon one another. These collapsed and condensed layers are not swellable and are apparently chemically linked to one another by covalent bonds. However, the layers of the collapsed and condensed swollen materials tend to be stacked upon one another in a disordered fashion. This disordered stacking of layers is consistent with the broadening of peaks as discussed herein with reference to Table 5 in comparison with the sharper peaks of Table 1. 
     The swollen materials of the present disclosure are useful as intermediates for preparing the pillared and calcined, swollen materials described herein with particular reference to Table 4 (pillared material) and Table 5 (calcined, swollen material). These pillared and calcined, swollen materials are useful as catalysts, catalyst supports and sorbents. The present swollen materials are also useful as catalysts for processes, wherein these swollen materials are converted into calcined materials, in situ, by heat associated with the processes. 
     Prior to its use in catalytic processes described herein, the layered material catalyst is preferably dehydrated, at least partially. This dehydration can be done by heating the crystals to a temperature in the range of from about 200° C. to about 595° C. in an atmosphere such as air, nitrogen, etc., and at atmospheric, subatmospheric or superatmospheric pressures for between about 30 minutes to about 48 hours. Dehydration can also be performed at room temperature merely by placing the layered material in a vacuum, but a longer time is required to obtain a sufficient amount of dehydration. 
     The layered material catalyst can be shaped into a wide variety of particle sizes. Generally speaking, the particles can be in the form of a powder, a granule, or a molded product such as an extrudate having a particle size sufficient to pass through a 2 mesh (Tyler) screen and be retained on a 400 mesh (Tyler) screen. In cases where the catalyst is molded, such as by extrusion, the layered material can be extruded before drying or partially dried and then extruded. 
     It may be desired to incorporate the layered material with another material which is resistant to the temperatures and other conditions employed in the catalytic processes described herein. Such materials include active and inactive materials and synthetic or naturally occurring zeolites as well as inorganic materials such as clays, silica and/or metal oxides such as alumina. The latter may be either naturally occurring or in the form of gelatinous precipitates or gels including mixtures of silica and metal oxides. Use of a material in conjunction with layered material, i.e., combined therewith or present during its synthesis, which itself is catalytically active may change the conversion and/or selectivity of the catalyst. Inactive materials suitably serve as diluents to control the amount of conversion so that products can be obtained economically and orderly without employing other means for controlling the rate of reaction. These materials may be incorporated into naturally occurring clays, e.g., bentonite and kaolin, to improve the crush strength of the catalyst under commercial operating conditions. Said materials, i.e., clays, oxides, etc., function as binders for the catalyst. It is desirable to provide a catalyst having good crush strength because in commercial use, it is desirable to prevent the catalyst from breaking down into powder-like materials. These clay binders have been employed normally only for the purpose of improving the crush strength of the catalyst. 
     Naturally occurring clays which can be composited with layered materials include the montmorillonite and kaolin family, which families include the subbentonites, and the kaolins commonly known as Dixie, McNamee, Georgia and Florida clays or others in which the main mineral constituent is halloysite, kaolinite, dickite, nacrite, or anauxite. Such clays can be used in the raw state as originally mined or initially subjected to calcination, acid treatment or chemical modification. Binders useful for compositing with layered materials also include inorganic oxides, notably alumina. 
     In addition to the foregoing materials, the layered materials can be composited with a porous matrix material such as silica-alumina, silica-magnesia, silica-zirconia, silica-thoria, silica-beryllia, silica-titania as well as ternary compositions such as silica-alumina-thoria, silica-alumina-zirconia, silica-alumina-magnesia and silica-magnesia-zirconia. 
     The relative proportions of finely divided layered materials and inorganic oxide matrix vary widely, with the layered material content ranging from about 1 to about 90 percent by weight and more usually, particularly when the composite is prepared in the form of beads, in the range of about 2 to about 80 weight of the composite. 
     In general, the hydrocracking process of the invention is conducted at a temperature of 260° C. to 450° C., a pressure of 2860  to 27,680 kPa (400 to 4000 psig), a liquid hourly space velocity (LHSV) of 0.1 hr -1  to 10 hr -1  and a hydrogen circulation rate of 180 to 1780 Nm 3  /m 3  (1000 to 10,000 standard cubic feet per barrel). 
     Where the feedstock to be hydrocracked according to the process of the invention contains significant quantities of nitrogen and/or sulfur, it may be desirable initially to subject the feedstock to a conventional hydrotreating process. Hydrotreating can be conducted at low to moderate pressures, typically from 3000 kPa to 10,000 kPa, with the temperature maintained at 350° C. to 450° C. Hydrotreating catalysts include those relatively immune to poisoning by the nitrogenous and sulfurous impurities in the feedstock and generally comprising a non-noble metal component supported on an amorphous, porous carrier such as silica, alumina, silica-alumina, or silica-magnesia. Other support materials such as zeolite Y or other large-pore zeolites, either alone or in combination with binders such as silica, alumina, or silica-alumina, can also be used for this purpose. Because extensive cracking is not desired in the hydrotreating operation, the acidic functionality of the carrier can be relatively low compared to that of the hydrocracking/dewaxing catalyst described herein. The metal component can be a single metal from Groups VIB and VIII of the Periodic Table such as nickel, cobalt, chromium, vanadium, molybdenum, tungsten, or a combination of metals such as nickel-molybdenum, cobalt-nickel, tungsten-molybdenum, cobalt-molybdenum, nickel-tungsten, or nickel-tungsten-titanium. Generally, the metal component will be selected for good hydrogenation activity. The catalyst as a whole will have a good hydrogenation activity and minimal cracking characteristics. The catalyst should be pre-sulfided in the normal way in order to convert the metal component (usually impregnated into the carrier and converted to oxide) to the corresponding sulfide. 
     In the hydrotreating operation, nitrogen and sulfur impurities are converted to ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, respectively. At the same time, polycyclic aromatics are more readily cracked in the present process to form alkyl aromatics. The effluent from the hydrotreating step can be passed directly to the present process without conventional interstage separation of ammonia or hydrogen sulfide although hydrogen quenching can be carried out in order to control the effluent temperature and to control the catalyst temperature in the present process. However, if desired, interstage separation of ammonia and hydrogen sulfide may be carried out. 
     Alpha Values are reported hereinafter for various materials. It is noted that the Alpha Value is an approximate indication of the catalytic cracking activity of the catalyst compared to a standard catalyst and it gives the relative rate constant (rate of normal hexane conversion per volume of catalyst per unit time). It is based on the activity of the highly active silica-alumina cracking catalyst taken as an Alpha of 1 (Rate Constant=0.016 sec -1 ). The Alpha Test is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,354,078, in the Journal of Catalysis, Vol. 4, p. 527 (1965); Vol. 6, p. 278 (1966); and Vol. 61, p. 395 (1980), each incorporated herein by reference as to that description. The experimental conditions of the test preferably include a constant temperature of 538° C. and a variable flow rate as described in detail in the Journal of Catalysis, Vol. 61, p. 395. 
     MCM-36, especially when the layers thereof are composed of an aluminosilicate, may be a very catalytically active material. By way of contrast, other layered materials, such as clays, magadiite, kenyaite, and titanates, in pillared form are much less catalytically active than the very catalytically active forms of the pillared layered oxide, MCM-36. One measure of the catalytic activity of MCM-36 is the Alpha Value for MCM-36. Various catalytically active forms of MCM-36 may have Alpha Values in excess of 10, e.g., 50 or greater. Particularly catalytically active forms of MCM-36 comprise those with aluminosilicate layers, these layers having a silica to alumina molar ratio of 300 or less. 
     Another distinguishing feature of MCM-36, relative to other pillared layered oxides, is the porosity of the layers of MCM-36. Although other pillared oxide materials, such as pillared clays and the pillared materials, e.g., pillared silicates and titanates, discussed in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,859,648, have considerable porosity as a result of open interspathic regions, the individual layers of these materials are relatively dense, lacking pore windows formed by 8 or more oxygen atoms. On the other hand, the layers of MCM-36 would appear to have continuous channels having pore windows formed by rings of at least 8 oxygen atoms. More particularly, these pore windows in the layers of MCM-36 would appear to be formed by rings of 10 oxygen atoms. As indicated by argon physisorption measurements, the channels in the layers of MCM-36 have an effective pore diameter of greater than about 5 Angstroms. 
     Various crystallites from the Examples which follow were examined by transition electron microscopy (TEM). 
     EXAMPLE 1 
     MCM-22 precursor was prepared by reacting the combination of 44 parts of water, 1 part of 50% sodium hydroxide, 1 part of sodium aluminate, 8.5 parts of spray-dried, precipitated SiO 2 , and 4.5 parts of hexamethyleneimine in an autoclave at 290° F. for 48 hours. The product was filtered and washed thoroughly with water. 
     The above wet material (-23% solids) was contacted with 6 cc/g of 29% cetyltrimethylammonium hydroxide (pH&gt;13) for 48 hours at room temperature yielding swollen MCM-22 precursor. It was isolated by filtration, washed twice with 400 ml of water, and air dried overnight. Pillaring was carried out by contacting with tetraethylorthosilicate and subsequent hydrolysis with water to produce MCM-36. 
     EXAMPLE 2 
     The sample prepared according to Example 1 was combined with alumina to form a mixture of 65 parts, by weight, MCM-36 and 35 parts Versal 250 alumina. Water was added to this mixture to allow the resulting catalyst to be formed into extrudates. The catalyst was activated by calcination at 900° F. in 5 v/v/min of nitrogen for 3 hours followed by replacement of nitrogen with 5 v/v/min air. The calcination was completed by raising the temperature to 1000° F. and maintaining that temperature for 6 hours. The material was exchanged with aqueous solutions of ammonium nitrate followed by calcination at 1000° F. for 3 hours in incipient wetness coimpregnation using solutions of Ni(NO 3 ) 2 .6H 2  O and (NH 4 ) 6  H 2  W 12  O 40 .H 2  O. The extrudate was calcined in 5 v/v/min air at 1000° F. for 2 hours. Physical and chemical properties of the NiW/MCM-36/Al 2  O 3  catalyst are provided in Table 9. 
     EXAMPLE 3 
     A NiW/USY/Al 2  O 3  catalyst was used as the reference catalyst in this disclosure. A sample of a commercial USY (UCS=24.56 Angstroms) was combined with Versal 250 alumina to form a mixture of 75 parts, by weight, USY and 25 parts alumina. Water was added to this mixture to allow the resulting catalyst to be formed into 1/8-inch cylindrical extrudates. The catalyst was activated by calcination at 1000° F. in air for 3 hours. The material was steamed for 10 hours at 950° F. in 100% steam at atmospheric pressure. The material was cooled to 150° F. and humidified before being cooled to room temperature. Nickel and tungsten were coimpregnated using a solution containing Ni(NO 3 ) 2 .6H 2  O and (NH 4 ) 6  H 2  W 12  O 40 .H 2  O. The properties of the NiW/USY/Al 2  O 3  catalyst which serves as the reference catalyst in this disclosure are included in Table 9 for comparison. 
     
                       TABLE 9                                                     
______________________________________                                    
Catalyst Properties                                                       
           NiW/MCM-36/Al.sub.2 O.sub.3                                    
                        NiW/USY/Al.sub.2 O.sub.3                          
______________________________________                                    
Composition, Wt. %                                                        
Zeolite      65             75                                            
Nickel       3.7            3.8                                           
Tungsten     9.2            11.0                                          
Density, g/cc                                                             
Packed       0.442          0.586                                         
Particle     0.74           1.082                                         
Real         2.851          2.982                                         
Physical Properties                                                       
Pore volume, cc/g                                                         
             1.001          0.589                                         
Surface area, m.sup.2 /g                                                  
             372            353                                           
Ave. pore diameter, Å                                                 
             108            66                                            
______________________________________                                    
 
    
     EXAMPLE 4 
     All experiments were conducted in a pilot unit operated at 1.0 LHSV, 1300 psig inlet hydrogen pressure and 5000 scf/bbl of once-through hydrogen circulation rate. The feed used in these evaluations was a hydrotreated light cycle oil (Table 10). 
     The performance of the two catalysts operated at 60% conversion to 390° F. -   material was evaluated. The results showed that the NiW/MCM-36 and NiW/USY catalysts have similar start-of-cycle activities. 
     The hydrocracked product properties, distribution, and selectivities obtained with the MCM-36- and USY-based catalysts are given in Table 11. Compared to conventional USY-based hydrocracking catalysts, the MCM-36-based catalyst produces more light gas at the expense of liquid product. The MCM-36 catalyst selectively produces C 4  and C 5  hydrocarbons with a decrease in naphtha. The iso/normal ratios of the C 4  and C 5  hydrocarbons in the light gas produced by the MCM-36- and USY-based catalysts were comparable. The (R+M)/2 octane of the IBP-190° F. -   fractions from the NiW/MCM-36 and NiW/USY analyses as listed in Table 11 are comparable. The component distribution of the IBP-390° F. -   fraction and 450° F. +  fraction is also given in Table 11. The HDC catalyst containing MCM-36 does not produce significant differences in the product distribution of the C 6  -390° F. -   relative to the USY-based catalyst. An increase in the naphthene content and a decrease in the calculated cetane index for the 450° F. +   fraction obtained with the MCM-36-based catalyst is also observed. This suggests that the MCM-36-based catalyst selectively cracks the heavier paraffins in the feed relative to the USY-based catalysts in a single-pass operation. 
     
                       TABLE 10                                                    
______________________________________                                    
Properties of Hydrotreated Light Cycle Oil Feed                           
______________________________________                                    
API              30.7                                                     
Nitrogen, ppm    1                                                        
Sulfur, ppm      30                                                       
Hydrogen, wt. %  12.8                                                     
Distillation                                                              
D2887 (°F.)                                                        
IBP              218                                                      
50               520                                                      
99.5             752                                                      
______________________________________                                    
 
    
     
                       TABLE 11                                                    
______________________________________                                    
Product Distribution and Properties                                       
           NiW/MCM-36/Al.sub.2 O.sub.3                                    
                        NiW/USY/Al.sub.2 O.sub.3                          
______________________________________                                    
Product Distribution,                                                     
Wt. %                                                                     
C.sub.1 -C.sub.3                                                          
             2.7            1.5                                           
C.sub.4      9.1            3.8                                           
C.sub.5      7.7            4.1                                           
C.sub.6 -390° F..sup.-                                             
             50.6           48.8                                          
390° F..sup.+                                                      
             30.0           41.9                                          
Product Selectivities,                                                    
C.sub.1 -C.sub.3                                                          
             3.8            2.6                                           
C.sub.4      13.0           6.5                                           
C.sub.5      11.0           7.0                                           
C.sub.6 -390° F..sup.-                                             
             72.2           83.9                                          
IBP-190° F..sup.-                                                  
(R + M)/2    80.6           81.9                                          
IBP-390° F..sup.-                                                  
Fraction, Wt. %                                                           
Paraffins    21.3           19.6                                          
Naphthenes   59.2           62.1                                          
Aromatics    19.4           18.5                                          
450° F..sup.+                                                      
Fraction, Wt. %                                                           
Paraffins    25.0           56.1                                          
Mononaphthenes                                                            
             16.2           12.2                                          
Polynaphthenes                                                            
             47.6           23.1                                          
Aromatics    11.3           8.8                                           
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