Abstract: The invention pertains to a carrier composition comprising (a) at least 30 wt % of a synthetic cracking component, based on the total weight of the carrier composition, which comprises oxidic compounds of one or more trivalent metallic elements, tetravalent metallic elements, and divalent metallic elements, said cracking component comprising elemental clay platelets with an average diameter of 1 &mgr;m or less and an average degree of stacking of 20 platelets per stack or less, and/or comprising a cogel with a saponite content CA of less than 60%, in which the total of sodium and potassium amounts to less than 1 wt %, based on the total weight of the cogel, and (b) 1-25 wt % of a zeolite Y, based on the total weight of the carrier composition, with a unit cell size below 24.35 Å. The invention further pertains to a catalyst comprising said carrier composition and at least a hydrogenation metal, and a process for converting heavy feedstock into middle distillates using said catalyst.

Abstract: The invention pertains to a carrier composition comprising (a) at least 30 wt % of a synthetic cracking component, based on the total weight of the carrier composition, which comprises oxidic compounds of one or more trivalent metallic elements, tetravalent metallic elements, and divalent metallic elements, said cracking component comprising elemental clay platelets with an average diameter of 1 &mgr;m or less and an average degree of stacking of 20 platelets per stack or less, and/or comprising a cogel with a saponite content CA of less than 60 %, in which the total of sodium and potassium amounts to less than 1 wt %, based on the total weight of the cogel, and (b) 1 −25 wt % of a zeolite Y, based on the total weight of the carrier composition, with a unit cell size below 24.35 å. The invention further pertains to a catalyst comprising said carrier composition and at least a hydrogenation metal, and a process for converting heavy feedstock into middle distillates using said catalyst.