Applications of Catalyst Enhancement Solutions in Oil Refining Processes

By

Soni O. Oyekan

President/CEO

Prafis Energy Solutions

Richmond, TX 77407

Catalysts accelerate the rates of chemical reactions, enable catalytic processes to attain excellent product selectivities, productivities, and profitability in petrochemical and oil refining processes. Catalysis and reaction engineering have served us excellently as correct and effective usage of catalysts have led to significant gains in the productivity and profitability of oil refining processes. Since oil refining units process a wide range of crude oil fractions, a variety of heterogeneous catalysts and catalytic additives are used in oil refining processes to meet a wide range of process objectives and goals.

A short introduction of catalyst compositions, relevant physical and chemical properties of some selected heterogeneous catalysts will be given for some naphtha processes. Process technology driven principles and catalytic enhancing strategies and concepts would be reviewed. Specific examples of applications of catalysts, and additives for catalyst activation, catalyst startup, and feed processing will be discussed. Catalyst enhancing strategies and applications would be covered for a platinum mordenite catalyzed C8 aromatics isomerization process, platinum aluminum chloride catalyzed paraffin isomerization processes, and for platinum catalyzed naphtha reforming processes. Strategies for optimal use of the multi-functional platinum catalysis in naphtha reforming processes would also be covered. Some comments would be offered with respect to the use of catalysts and additives in the processing of gas oils in Fluid Catalytic Cracking units (FCCUs).