High Throughput Catalyst Testing to Enhance Refinery Operations

Abstract

Abstract An important aspect of refinery and petrochemical complex(s) are the catalytic units without which many processes are not possible. Catalyst selection in a refinery or petrochemical complex has a big impact on the yields, energy usage and provides with a competitive advantage by selection of better performing catalyst for the actual feedstock. To perform catalyst section, a comparative catalyst testing on a smaller scale unit is required. Previously, it used to be performed in a single flow conventional reactor unit, which is time consuming, non-effective and laborious in comparing more than two types of catalysts. As conventional catalyst testing takes long time, catalyst selection in refinery is often based on information shared by a Catalyst Vendor referred as "paper assessment". However, the use of high throughput technology enables accelerated catalyst testing (faster results) and facilitates the selection of the best catalyst in alignment with the timeline faced by the refinery in decision-making process. This enables identification of the best catalyst from different vendors based on actual performance of the catalyst and has a great potential to enhance operations. In addition, the use of high throughput catalyst testing unit enables opportunities with different experimental designs to develop kinetic models, to simulate reactors in series and to do stability tests in an effective manner.