Fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) is one of the most important conversion units in the refining process, playing a key role in the economics of most refineries. The FCC unit is the main route to gasoline in the refinery and a source of light olefins for the alkylation process. The versatility of the FCC process allows swinging product yields by seasons via operating conditions, catalysts, and additives technologies. The FCC catalyst is usually tailored for specific economic objectives and to overcome unit constraints. Catalyst manufacturers offers a broad range of catalyst technologies and they continuously introduce new products into the market. At the same time, refiners try to capture maximum product value through catalyst optimization or using the newest catalyst technologies. Therefore, catalyst manufacturers and refiners have the need to develop strategies for a fair and realistic comparison of catalysts or additives technologies at laboratory or pilot plant scale.<br/><br/>Irreversible FCC catalyst deactivation in commercial units is caused by the exposure to high temperatures, steam, and contaminants that are present in the feedstock. The preparation of artificially deactivated FCC catalysts is a critical and challenging step in any catalyst evaluation. The objective is to deactivate fresh catalysts to mimic the performance of commercially deactivated catalysts and select a methodology that allows an accurate rank of catalysts.  The deactivation of the catalyst under industrial conditions is unit and catalyst dependent; thus, there is no single approach for deactivation and testing of FCC catalysts and additives. This presentation discusses the key factors to take into account when catalysts are artificially deactivated, and how these factors may affect cracking product yields. <br/> <br/>

Key factors for industrial fluid catalytic cracking catalyst evaluations

255th National Meeting (2018)

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