Patent ID: 8658558

Claim:
A process for forming a bulk hydroprocessing catalyst, the method comprises: 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; 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 a total amount of at least 10 mole % of the metal precursor feeds; supplying the supernatant to a reactor vessel having a plurality of electrodes having a positive or a negative charge provided by a power supply, wherein the electrodes dissolve in water generating an electrode dissolution product; reacting the electrode dissolution product with at least one of the metal residuals, forming a slurry containing insoluble metal compounds; isolating the insoluble metal compounds from the slurry, forming a first effluent stream containing less than 50 mole % of metal ions in the metal residuals; treating the first effluent stream to recover at least 80 mol % of the metal ions 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.