Advanced Catalysis and Processes to Convert Heavy Residues Into Fuels and High Value Chemicals

The petroleum refining process begins with distillation, first at atmospheric pressure and after at reduced pressure. The volatile fractions, in both cases, have greater economic value, and the distillation residue-produced atmospheric residue and vacuum residue represent a significant portion of a barrel of crude. The need to convert bottom of the barrel into cleaner and more valuable olefins and liquid products is continuously increasing. Thus, residue must be converted into more valuable products, and further processes can be employed for upgrading residue. Examples are delayed coking, visco-reduction, and fluidized catalytic cracking. On the other hand, the optimization of refining facilities to deal with such feeds brings economic competitiveness since these oils have low prices in the international market. Studies on processes and catalytic cracking are quite important under this aspect. The conversion of heavy petroleum fraction into valuable liquid products and high value chemicals has been important objectives for upgrading heavy petroleum oils.

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Heat Exhaustion

Mechanical Engineering ◽

10.1115/1.2002-jul-6 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 124 (07) ◽

pp. 50

Keyword(s):

Heat Transfer ◽

Steady State ◽

Catalytic Cracking ◽

Slide Valve ◽

Refining Process ◽

Cooling Time ◽

Transient Heat Transfer ◽

Heat Exhaustion ◽

Fluidized Catalytic Cracking ◽

Operating Temperatures

This article focuses on fluidized catalytic cracking, which is a slide valve that controls the catalyst flow in hydrocarbon refining process. The valves are typically installed in refractory lined piping approximately 5 feet in diameter. Operating temperatures inside the valve range from 900°F to 1,400°F and, occasionally, go as high as 1800°F. Replacements require a shutdown that can run into days just for cooling time and then reheating. A major Houston-based manufacturer of slide valves, Tapco International, came up with a design that would eliminate bolts to make the valve last longer. The company asked BES Engineering of Houston to analyze the stresses due to steady-state and transient heat transfer, and to evaluate their effects. Tapco has about two dozen of the boltless valves in the field. The reliability of the new design can save hundreds of thousands of dollars by eliminating unscheduled shutdowns and unexpected maintenance.

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Fluidized Catalytic Cracking Catalyst Microstructure as Determined by A Scanning Ion Microprobe

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100135113 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 48 (2) ◽

pp. 302-303

Author(s):

J.K. Lampert ◽

G.S. Koermer ◽

J.M. Macaoy ◽

J.M. Chabala ◽

R. Levi-Setti

Keyword(s):

Catalytic Cracking ◽

Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry ◽

Fuel Oil ◽

Ion Microprobe ◽

Fluidized Catalytic Cracking ◽

Ion Probe ◽

Silica Alumina ◽

Resolution Imaging ◽

The University ◽

High Spatial Resolution Imaging

We have used high spatial resolution imaging secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) to differentiate mineralogical phases and to investigate chemical segregations in fluidized catalytic cracking (FCC) catalyst particles. The oil industry relies on heterogeneous catalysis using these catalysts to convert heavy hydrocarbon fractions into high quality gasoline and fuel oil components. Catalyst performance is strongly influenced by catalyst microstructure and composition, with different chemical reactions occurring at specific types of sites within the particle. The zeolitic portions of the particle, where the majority of the oil conversion occurs, can be clearly distinguished from the surrounding silica-alumina matrix in analytical SIMS images.The University of Chicago scanning ion microprobe (SIM) employed in this study has been described previously. For these analyses, the instrument was operated with a 40 keV, 10 pA Ga+ primary ion probe focused to a 30 nm FWHM spot. Elemental SIMS maps were obtained from 10×10 μm2 areas in times not exceeding 524s.

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An analytical microscopic study of metals in fluidized catalytic cracking catalyst

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100145613 ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 44 ◽

pp. 854-855

Author(s):

Clifford S. Rainey

Keyword(s):

Electron Microscopy ◽

Spatial Distribution ◽

Catalytic Cracking ◽

Catalyst Deactivation ◽

Coke Formation ◽

Acid Sites ◽

Y Zeolite ◽

Fcc Catalyst ◽

Fluidized Catalytic Cracking ◽

High Regeneration

The spatial distribution of V and Ni deposited within fluidized catalytic cracking (FCC) catalyst is studied because these metals contribute to catalyst deactivation. Y zeolite in FCC microspheres are high SiO2 aluminosilicates with molecular-sized channels that contain a mixture of lanthanoids. They must withstand high regeneration temperatures and retain acid sites needed for cracking of hydrocarbons, a process essential for efficient gasoline production. Zeolite in combination with V to form vanadates, or less diffusion in the channels due to coke formation, may deactivate catalyst. Other factors such as metal "skins", microsphere sintering, and attrition may also be involved. SEM of FCC fracture surfaces, AEM of Y zeolite, and electron microscopy of this work are developed to better understand and minimize catalyst deactivation.

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