Hydrotreating Catalyst via In Situ Activation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing hydrotreating catalysts require additives and costly calcination and sulfidation steps, limiting their activity and economic viability for low-sulfur diesel production.

Innovation Solution

A hydrocarbon oil-impregnated composition is created by incorporating metal salts into an inorganic oxide support, followed by hydrogen treatment, eliminating the need for calcination and sulfidation before use, and allowing in situ activation, which enhances catalytic activity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional hydrotreating catalysts are used with additives and calcination/sulfidation steps, then catalyst stability is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecatalyst stabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts and eliminates the calcination and sulfidation steps from the traditional catalyst manufacturing process. By using a hydrocarbon oil-impregnated composition that can be directly activated in situ, the complex multi-step manufacturing process is simplified while maintaining catalyst stability through the protective oil impregnation method.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The catalyst composition is designed to perform self-activation within the reactor system. The hydrocarbon oil impregnation provides a self-contained activation mechanism that eliminates the need for external calcination and sulfidation facilities, allowing the catalyst to activate itself during normal operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Duration of action of stationary object

If traditional catalyst activation methods are used, then catalyst durability is improved, but production time and energy consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecatalyst durabilityVSAvoidactivation time
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of stationary objectVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The hydrocarbon oil is impregnated into the catalyst support and metal salts before the catalyst is put into service. This preliminary impregnation creates a ready-to-activate composition that requires minimal processing time, as the oil is already in position to facilitate in situ activation during reactor operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the activation parameters from high-temperature calcination and sulfidation processes to a milder in situ activation process using the impregnated hydrocarbon oil. This parameter change reduces both the time and energy required for activation while maintaining catalyst durability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If calcination and sulfidation steps are performed, then catalyst activity is improved, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecatalyst activityVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The hydrocarbon oil acts as an intermediary substance that facilitates catalyst activation without requiring expensive calcination and sulfidation equipment. The oil serves as a medium that enables in situ activation, reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining catalyst activity through the controlled decomposition and activation of the impregnated oil.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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

The method provides a more active and cost-effective hydrotreating catalyst with improved hydrodesulfurization performance, reducing sulfur concentrations in diesel fuels without requiring additional additives or pre-treatment steps.

Implementation Method 1

incorporating a metal component of a metal salt solution into a inorganic oxide support material selected from alumina or silica-alumina by an impregnating method

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectImpregnation: Absorption (physical)

Implementation Method 2

incorporating hydrocarbon oil into said metal-impregnated support material to provide an oil-impregnated composition

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectImpregnation: Absorption (physical)

Implementation Method 3

hydrogen treating said oil-impregnated composition in a gaseous atmosphere containing hydrogen

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHydrogenation: Hydrogenation

Data Source

PatentEP2173477B1Method for the production of a catalyst for hydrocarbon hydrotreatment.
Publication Date: 2019.04.10 SHELL INTERNATIONALE RESEARCH MAATSCHAPPIJ BV
  • EP2173477B1 patent drawingFigure 1

AI summary

A hydrocarbon oil-impregnated composition that comprises a support material having incorporated therein a metal component and impregnated with a hydrocarbon oil. The hydrocarbon oil-impregnated composition is useful in the hydrotreating of hydrocarbon feedstocks, and it is especially useful in applications involving delayed feed introduction whereby the hydrocarbon oil-impregnated composition is first treated with hot hydrogen, and, optionally, a sulfur compound, prior to contacting it with a hydrocarbon feedstock under hydrodesulfurization process conditions.