Hydrotreating

Hydrotreating is a catalytic chemical process used to remove sulphur, nitrogen, oxygen, and other
impurities from petroleum products.It is performed using hydrogen gas at high pressures and
temperatures.

Fig: Hydrotreating
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Sources of hydrogen

Most common sources of hydrogen:

Pure hydrogen gas and carbon dioxide by reacting a acetic acid and water (steam) mixture with the
help of catalyst

Pure hydrogen gas and carbon dioxide by reacting a methanol and water (steam) mixture.

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Transportation Fuel Evolution

Fig: Evolution of Transportation Fuel

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Coking
Coking is the heating of coal in the absence of oxygen to a temperature above 600 °C to drive off the
volatile components of the raw coal, leaving a hard, strong, porous material of high carbon content called
coke.

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Catalyst

A catalyst is a substance that speeds up a chemical reaction without being consumed in the reaction.
Catalysts are used in a wide variety of chemical reactions, including those that are used to produce plastics,
fuels, medicines and in catalytic converters to reduce pollution from car exhaust.

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Catalyst Characteristics

Important characteristics of catalysts which influence its performance are:

• Partical size
• Pore volume
• Pore diameter
• Surface area
• Shape of catalyst particles

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Catalyst shape

Fig: Different shape of catalyst

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Catalyst deactivation

Catalyst deactivation is when a catalyst stops working over time. This can happen for a few reasons,
such as:
• Coke formation: Coke is a carbon deposit that can form on the surface of the catalyst and block the
active sites.
• Poisoning: Poisoning is when a substance binds to the active sites of the catalyst and makes them
inactive.
• Sintering: Sintering is when the catalyst particles fuse together, reducing the surface area and activity
of the catalyst.
• Thermal degradation: Thermal degradation is when the catalyst is exposed to high temperatures and
breaks down.
• Catalyst aging: Catalyst aging is a natural process that occurs over time and can lead to a decrease in
activity.

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Catalyst Regeneration

• Hydro processing catalyst cost is a significant fraction of unit cost processing.

• To reduce operating cost, it is better to regenerate.
• Strict environmental norms for disposing spent catalyst also encourage regeneration of catalyst and
reuse.
• Normally two regeneration are allowed and it imparts total life of 3-5 years to catalyst.
• Catalyst regeneration involves removal of deposited coke in oxidised atmosphere using steam/airs.

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Hydrocracking

Hydrocracking is a refining process that uses hydrogen to break down heavy oil molecules into smaller,
more valuable products. It is a type of catalytic cracking, which means that it uses a catalyst to speed up
the reaction.

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Hydrocracking feeds

Hydrocracking feeds are the feedstocks that are used in the hydrocracking process. They are typically
heavy oils that are difficult to refine using other methods.

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Hydrocracking products

Some of the products that can be produced from hydrocracking:

• Gasoline
• Diesel fuel
• Jet fuel
• Lubricants
• Waxes
• Asphalt
• Chemicals

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Hydrocracking catalysts

• Hydrocracking catalysts are used to speed up the hydrocracking process. They are typically made of
zeolites, which are a type of mineral that has a porous structure. The zeolite provides a surface on
which the heavy oil molecules can react with the hydrogen gas.

• The most widely-used hydrocracking catalysts contain synthetic zeolites, such as H-Y, or amorphous
silica/alumina (ASA). These catalysts are typically sulphide, which means that they have sulphur
atoms bonded to them. The sulphur atoms help to activate the catalyst and make it more efficient.

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Hydrocracking process

There are two types of process

1.Single stage process
2.Two stage process

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Single stage process

• A single-stage hydrocracking process is a type of hydrocracking process in which the feedstock is

passed through a single reactor.
• This is the most common type of hydrocracking process, and it is typically used to produce middle
distillates, such as diesel fuel and jet fuel.

Fig: Single stage hydrocracking with recycle

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Two Stage hydrocracking

• A two-stage hydrocracking process is a type of hydrocracking process in which the feedstock is

passed through two reactors in series.
• This is less common than the single-stage process, but it can be used to achieve higher conversions
and/or to produce lighter products.

Fig:Two stage hydrocracking with recycle

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