Deactivation of a hydrotreating catalyst in a bench-scale continuous stirred tank reactor at different operating conditions

• Published in: Fuel (Guildford) Vol. 234; pp. 326 - 334
• Main Authors: Torres-Mancera, Pablo, Ancheyta, Jorge, Martínez, Jeremías
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 15.12.2018; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Accumulation; Aging; Aging (metallurgy); Aromaticity; Catalysis; Catalyst deactivation; Catalysts; Coke; Coke and metal buildup; Continuously stirred tank reactors; CSTR; Deactivation; Hydrodesulfurization; Hydrotreating; Metals; Reactors; Temperature; Velocity; MOC; SSA; Hydrotreating; PV; XRD; CP-MAS NMR; TGA; Coke and metal buildup; HDM; CSTR; APD; Catalyst deactivation; HDS; LHSV
• ISSN: 0016-2361; 1873-7153
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fuel.2018.06.122

[Display omitted] •Catalyst deactivation at low and high severity hydrotreating conditions.•Carbon and metal deposits behavior when varying temperature and space velocity.•Coke chemical nature evolves by growing severity.•Catalyst aging as function of simultaneous coke and metals buildup. Initial and midterm deactivation of a hydrotreating catalyst tested at different severity on a bench-scale continuous stirred tank reactor is analyzed. By varying temperature and space velocity during the hydrotreating of an atmospheric residue, contribution to catalyst deactivation phenomena by thermal and catalytic reactions is measured. The level of catalyst deactivation is linked to aging provoked by both coke and metal accumulation. The deposited amounts of coke and metal on the catalyst increase by rising temperature while an increment in space velocity produces higher metal accumulation but lower coke buildup. Process conditions affect the type of coke accumulated on the catalyst after the reaction, at high severity the proportion of refractory coke and the aromaticity were enhanced. The remaining activity in the spent catalyst samples tested in the hydrodesulfurization of thiophene coincides with the aging provoked by both coke and metal accumulation.