Hydrotreating catalysts for diesel aromatics saturation

Abstract

The aromatics content of diesel feedstocks can vary widely. Straight-run stocks typically contain 20 to 40 vol% aromatics and cracked stocks 40 to 70 vol%. Thus, requirements for aromatics saturation range from moderate to severe depending on refinery location and feedstock availability. Existing middle distillate hydrotreaters designed to reduce sulfur levels can reduce aromatics content only marginally. Considerable attention has, in recent years, been paid to new catalysts and processes for aromatics saturation. The catalyst systems investigated are: (1)Conventional hydrotreating catalysts in single-stage operation; (2)Pt/alumina in two-stage operation; and (3)Sulfur-tolerant noble-metal catalyst in two-stage operation. Which of these systems should be used for a given service depends on many factors, but generally, the NiMo + NiW system is preferred at moderate levels of saturation, while for deep aromatics saturation the system using a sulfur-tolerant noble-metal catalyst is preferred. A comparison of the conditions necessary to obtain given aromatic specifications is made for all four systems. The feedstocks and their properties are summarized in a table. The paper discusses the four catalyst systems mentioned above and operating conditions.