Hydrotreating Catalyst Rejuvenation via Gluconic Acid Treatment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hydrotreating catalysts in refineries deactivate due to contaminants like sulfur and nitrogen compounds, leading to increased costs as fresh catalysts are needed, prompting a need for effective rejuvenation methods to maintain activity and meet environmental regulations.
Innovation Solution
A process involving the removal of coke from used hydrotreating catalysts followed by treatment with gluconic acid to recover and potentially exceed the activity of fresh catalysts, utilizing a regeneration step and subsequent contact with gluconic acid to redisperse hydrogenation metal components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional regeneration processes are used to remove coke deposits, then catalyst activity is partially recovered, but the catalyst cannot achieve full or enhanced activity recovery
Solution Approach 1:
Gluconic acid is introduced as an intermediary substance during the regeneration process. The acid treatment serves as a mediating step between coke removal and catalyst activation, enabling the hydrogenation metal components to redisperse and reform active sites more effectively than conventional acid treatments alone
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the chemical parameter of the treatment medium by using gluconic acid instead of conventional acids. This parameter change enables more effective removal of deactivating contaminants and promotes better redispersion of metal components, achieving superior activity recovery
2Reliability
If fresh hydrotreating catalyst is used continuously, then product specifications are met, but operational costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of discarding deactivated catalyst and replacing it with fresh catalyst, the invention recovers and reactivates the spent catalyst through a two-step process: coke removal followed by gluconic acid treatment. This recovery approach maintains product specification compliance while dramatically reducing catalyst consumption costs
3Reliability
If coke deposits and metal sulphides are removed by controlled oxidation, then catalyst is regenerated, but complete activity recovery is not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies preliminary action by performing gluconic acid treatment immediately after coke removal and before final catalyst use. This intermediate treatment prepares the catalyst surface and metal components for optimal reactivity, ensuring complete activity recovery when combined with the oxidation step
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This process effectively recovers and can even surpass the activity of fresh hydrotreating catalysts, making it a cost-effective and attractive method for catalyst rejuvenation, allowing for the production of low-sulfur fuels while reducing environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
The use of the gluconic acid enables a most attractive recovery of hydrodesulphurisation activity of the hydrotreating catalyst, which is believed to be due to the fact that the solution of the gluconic acid brings about a redispersion of the hydrogenation metal components on the surface of the used hydrotreating catalyst
Implementation Method 2
In the regeneration step of a rejuvenation process coke deposits are removed and metal sulphides are converted to oxides during a controlled oxidation reaction
Implementation Method 3
In the regeneration step of a rejuvenation process coke deposits are removed and metal sulphides are converted to oxides during a controlled oxidation reaction
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides a process for rejuvenation of a used hydrotreating catalyst comprising at least 8 %wt of coke and one or more non-noble Group VIII and/or Group VIb metals, which process comprises the steps of: (i) removing coke from the used hydrotreating catalyst; and (ii) treating the catalyst obtained in step (i) with of from 2 to 60 %wt of gluconic acid, based on weight of dry catalyst.