Alumina based catalysts containing active metals such as molybdenum, nickel and cobalt are necessary to upgrade crude oil into refined petroleum products. The catalysts ultimately become spent after a certain time of operation. About 150,000 t/y of spent catalysts are generated worldwide by the oil refineries, most of the time classified as hazardous wastes due to the presence of heavy metals, organic compounds and their self-heating properties, and have to be disposed in landfills or recycled.This article will describe the proprietary process used by Gulf Chemical and Metallurgical Corporation (GCMC) in Freeport, Texas, to recover as marketable products the metals from the catalysts, but also the vanadium originally contained in the crude oil feedstock. Through distinct calcining, hydro-metallurgical and pyro-metallurgical steps, the valuable metals are separated, purified and end-up in commercialized forms. Molybdenum for instance is re-used by fresh catalyst producers, fully closing the recycling loop. The other products are used in the steel industry, so reducing the volume of metals from primary sources.

Recycling of spent oil catalysts: GCMC process for metals recovery

247th National Meeting (2014)

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