Fixed bed residue desulfurization (RDS) is a key catalytic process to pre-treat catalytic cracking feedstocks and to produce low sulfur fuel oil. RDS process can treat difficult feedstock but catalyst deactivation limits cycle length due to metals and coke deposits. Catalyst deactivation studies have been performed on pilot plants for many years to optimize catalyst loading in RDS units. However, these studies are time consuming. An accelerated aging test has been developed.<br/>A reference residue was hydrotreated in a long duration deactivation test. Performances were monitored (HDM, HDS) to measure catalyst deactivation. Unloaded catalyst was analysed to measure metals and coke content.<br/>Different accelerated tests were performed with the reference residue but include a phase in which a highly refractory residue is treated instead so that the metals uptake on the catalyst is very fast. After the fast deactivation phase, the reference residue is treated so that catalyst deactivation can be calculated. <br/>After RDS operating conditions optimization, coke and metals deposits observed in the accelerated aging test are close to the deposits obtained in the long duration deactivation test. In addition, catalyst deactivation (HDM, HDS) were found to be similar which demonstrate the interest for an accelerated aging test.

Accelerated aging test for fixed bed residue desulfurization catalyst

255th National Meeting (2018)

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