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Feb-2009
Plant data show how an FCCU’s propylene yield is maximised while minimising its dry gas and slurry yield at a CEPSA refinery
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What type of catalyst do we need for low pressure hydrotreating of middle distillates?
Feb-2021
Responses to a question in the Q1 2021 issues Q&A Feature
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Revamp cat feed hydrotreaters for flexible yields
Nov-2016
Revamping a cat feed hydrotreater to a flexible mild hydrocracker can be the most attractive economic option for adjusting the gasoline to diesel rati ...
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Continuous innovation for residue FCC catalyst technology
Jun-2015
Although Tight Oil has captured the attention of the world and changed the landscape of North American refining, resid type feeds continue to play a key ...
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Once through hydrocracker revamp (TIA)
Aug-2018
Chevron Lummus Global (CLG), a joint venture between Chevron USA Inc. and McDermott, has safely and successfully executed a once through hydrocracker unit ...
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Maximising FCC distillate production
Feb-2010
A novel catalyst manufacturing process forms matrix material and zeolite in a single step. Trials indicate high matrix stability and low sodium conten ...
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Hydrocracking and hydrotreating developments
Jan-2009
Current emphasis on middle distillate production requires the expansion of hydroprocessing capabilities affecting reactor and catalyst design. Increased ...
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Pushing the limits of FCC gasoline desulphurisation
Jul-2016
The goal of FCC gasoline desulphurisation to desulphurise FCC gasoline with minimum octane loss. The process uses conventional naphtha hydrotreating and ...
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GSR the only proven FCC catalysts and additives for gasoline sulphur reduction
May-2015
Grace GSR® technologies: D-PriSM®, SuRCA®, and GSR® 5, are the result of nearly two decades of innovation. GSR has been used in over 100 FCC units ...
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Apr-2005
The detrimental effect of nickel and vanadium in forming contaminant coke and hydrogen can be reduced via appropriate passivation technology
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Structured catalysts for steam reformers
Jun-2015
A foil based catalyst aims to avoid the limitations of ceramic pellet substrates in steam reforming.
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Optimising hydroprocessing 
catalyst systems
Apr-2014
Flexibility in catalyst technology and processing tactics optimises hydrocracker and ULSD operations to meet diesel and gasoil production targets
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Maximising yields and profits from the FCC unit
Aug-2021
Comparative additive trials demonstrated a gain in petrochemicals output and profit from an integrated refinery’s FCC unit.
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Maximising crude value in base oil production
Nov-2019
Retrofitting a combination of all-hydroprocessing routes delivers lower capital and operating costs in the production of premium base oil stocks.
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Enhanced bottoms cracking and process flexibility with Midas FCC catalyst
Jan-2013
This premium bottoms cracking FCC catalyst family is formulated with advanced zeolite stabilisation technology plus matrix metals passivation technology, ...
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Hydrocracker parametric sensitivity study
Apr-2009
Product yields and hydrogen consumption were predicted using a discreet lumping model. The model was used to study unit responses to changes in operating ...
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Performance testing of naphtha 
reforming catalysts
Oct-2015
High throughput screening of naphtha reforming catalysts under commercially relevant conditions
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Simplifying hydrogen production
Jun-2017
Catalyst systems developed for the purification and reforming sections of the hydrogen plant target significant barriers to efficient production.
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Jul-2014
Residue and shale oil feeds often contain high levels of contaminants that can create a number of challenges for refiners today.
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Increasing propylene for the petrochemical market
Apr-2005
Increasing FCC propylene with shape-selective additives minimises the impact on unit process conditions and equipment
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Increasing FCC propylene yield
Apr-2016
A test run with ZSM-5 additive demonstrated to a refinery that it could significantly raise production of propylene in the FCC.
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FCC additive cuts delta coke (TIA)
May-2017
In the majority of cases, the most profitable fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) units are the ones that are operated consistently against one or more operational ...
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Emission challenges in partial burn FCC operation (TIA)
Oct-2016
Partial burn regenerator operation offers the possibility to process lower cost crudes. This makes partial burn operation very competitive for conversion ...
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An alternative to rare earth elements in FCC catalysts - the use of Phinesse at Shell Sarnia
Apr-2016
Rare earth (RE) elements have been utilised since the 1960s to stabilise Y-zeolites used in Fluidized Catalytic Cracking (FCC) catalysts. Of the RE elements, ...
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Advances in xylene isomerisation (TIA)
Jan-2016
Sinopec Zhenhai Refinery and Chemical Company (ZRCC) started up its 450000 t/y paraxylene (PX) integrated aromatics complex in 2003.
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Improve energy efficiency of your hydrocracking unit
Aug-2023
Reduced fuel firing in HCU product fractionators enables higher diesel yields and improved product properties while reducing Scope 1 and 2 emissions.
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Refining refiners’ spent catalysts
Mar-2013
Spent catalyst is the raw material for a recycling operation that delivers fresh catalyst and specialist metals
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Increasing FCC propylene yield
Apr-2016
A test run with ZSM-5 additive demonstrated to a refinery that it could significantly raise production of propylene in the FCC.
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Apr-2016
Analysing spent hydroprocessing catalyst underpins the development of guard bed catalysts to counter contaminants.
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Enhancements in Ethylene Oxide/Ethylene Glycol manufacturing technology
Aug-2017
The markets for ethylene oxide (EO) and ethylene glycol (EG) continue to see attractive growth. This means that at least one or two new plants will need ...
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Increased flexibility and profitability from hydroprocessing catalyst
Jan-2021
Refiners have faced, and will continue to face, numerous external challenges from multiple fronts to maintain a profitable operation.
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Reducing gasoline sulphur with additives
Apr-2004
Evolution of regulations in an era of limited capital has led to the development of catalyst additive technologies to reduce FCC gasoline sulphur
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SA-BIN spent catalysts storage/shipping containers
Feb-2015
How spent precious metal bearing catalysts can be moved around the globe quickly and cost effectively
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Increased activity in FCC pretreat
May-2015
Advances in metal chelation techniques deliver higher performance catalysts for FCC pretreat. The process of optimising a catalyst is no easy task.
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Kinetic engine drives catalyst development
Apr-2016
Development of a NiMo catalyst for medium-to-high and high pressure middle distillates hydrotreating.
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Maximising propylene in the FCC unit
Jun-2016
Comparative trials with FCC catalyst formulations identified a winner on olefins selectivity and other factors.
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Converting LCO to gasoline with high RON (TIA)
Aug-2018
Light cycle oil (LCO) is an important byproduct of fluidised catalytic cracking (FCC). With the increasing severity of FCC operations, LCO with higher ...
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Hydrate formation in a fluid catalytic cracking off-gas line
Apr-2019
A hydrate blockage led to sudden loss of a FCC unit’s off-gas flow and a system pressure surge. Comprehensive troubleshooting delivered remedial mea ...
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Reformer monitoring via in-tube temperature measurement
Apr-2014
A temperature monitoring technology applied to steam reformers in synthesis gas plants provides protection against over-firing plus detailed catalyst ...
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Tail gas catalyst performance: part 2
Dec-2014
The second part of a two-part account of time and temperature effects on tail gas catalyst performance gives a background to reaction modelling and pilot ...
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Meeting low sulphur diesel challenges
Dec-2017
Liquid stream hydroprocessing technology enabled a refiner to meet fast-changing diesel sulphur specifications and process a wide variety of feedstock ...
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Starting up hydrotreating units with cracked feeds
Jan-2013
A catalyst sulphiding process enables the introduction of cracked or heavy feeds to HDS units without the recommended three-day delay following change ...
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ZSM-5 additive maximises propylene
Apr-2015
Multi-stage phosphorus treatment improves ZSM-5 zeolite stabilisation and creates more propylene producing acid sites.
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Recovering and refining precious metals
Nov-2015
Some factors to consider when choosing a route for recovering precious metals from catalyst.
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An alternative to rare earth elements in FCC catalysts - the use of Phinesse at Shell Sarnia
Apr-2016
Rare earth (RE) elements have been utilised since the 1960s to stabilise Y-zeolites used in Fluidized Catalytic Cracking (FCC) catalysts. Of the RE elements, ...
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FCC additive cuts delta coke (TIA)
May-2017
In the majority of cases, the most profitable fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) units are the ones that are operated consistently against one or more operational ...
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Managing ammonium salts corrosion and fouling
Nov-2021
An additive overcame corrosion and fouling issues in a FCC unit, avoiding costs arising from water wash.
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Decrease catalyst costs by regeneration, analysis and sorting
Mar-2012
Use of regenerated catalyst can be maximised by careful sampling and analysis of spent catalyst to construct a reactor contamination profile
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Role of FCC catalyst in refinery profitability
Jan-2014
By switching to a rare earth-free FCC catalyst, a refiner raised its output of premium grade gasoline and increased its operating margin
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Improving FCC unit profitability
Aug-2017
Upgrading the FCC catalyst and additive system enabled a refiner to increase olefins production with lower bottoms to coke and no increase in dry gas.
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Meeting increased hydrogen demand (TIA)
Nov-2019
Hydrogen is a simple molecule, yet around 70 million t/y are produced today mostly for oil refining and chemical production; and the demand is growing ...
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Catalyst responds to cold flow challenges (TIA)
Nov-2019
A Greek refiner needed to expand exports of automotive diesel oil beyond the saturated market in Greece.
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Vent gas treatment in platforming
Nov-2019
Unlike a conventional scrubbing system, the latest regenerator vent gas chloride treatment for platforming units does not employ caustic
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The origins and fates of chlorides in hydroprocessing units
Oct-2019
A step-by-step roadmap to identifying and managing the negative effects of chlorides in hydroprocessing units.
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Residuum hydrocracking: chemistry and catalysis
Aug-2019
Significant advances have been made in understanding the hydrocracking chemistry of residuum oils and in the catalytic systems required for deep conversion ...
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NOx control additives continue to reduce emissions (TIA)
Aug-2019
Johnson Matthey’s (JM) NoNOx technology, in conjunction with a non-platinum CO promoter like JM’s COP-NP, can reduce NOx emissions below increasingly ...
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Catalytic lube dewaxing defeats feed contamination (TIA)
Aug-2019
A base stock manufacturer was experiencing poor lube plant feed quality stemming from refinery equipment problems. The hydrocracker producing the feed ...
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Jul-2019
Catalysts are tested in laboratory and pilot plant units for purposes of catalyst research, catalyst development, and catalyst selection. Hoekstra Trading™ ...
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Jul-2019
Selecting the best catalyst for a unit demands thorough evaluation of the available options.
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Jul-2019
New catalyst technologies and technical service support helped a refiner overcome difficulties with VGO conversion.
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Bottoms upgrading of FCC resid feedstock
Jun-2019
A refiner chose a new catalyst to improve bottoms upgrading and maximise fuels production from resid feeds.
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New catalysts for low and medium pressure hydrotreating
May-2019
A catalyst platform provides higher performance in middle distillate hydrotreating applications with limited hydrogen, difficult feedstocks and severe ...
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Ways for refiners to capitalize on the benefits of ultra-high activity catalysts (TIA)
May-2019
ExxonMobil and Albemarle launched the first commercial Bulk Metal Catalyst in 2001. The commercialization of Nebula®* (Catalyst A) represented a wholein ...
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FCC metals trapping additive trial (TIA)
Apr-2019
The Parkland refinery in Burnaby, British Columbia has consistently high levels of feed metals going to the FCC. In the past, high levels of fresh catalyst ...
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Technical collaboration triples NHT cycle length (TIA)
Apr-2019
A nine-month cycle once seemed like a victory. But with pressure drop still flat after 27 months, the engineers on a naphtha hydrotreater in the Texas ...
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Hydrate formation in a fluid catalytic cracking off-gas line
Apr-2019
A hydrate blockage led to sudden loss of a FCC unit’s off-gas flow and a system pressure surge. Comprehensive troubleshooting delivered remedial mea ...
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Spherical catalyst carriers with unprecedented size uniformity (ERTC)
Jan-2019
An increased demand for small diameter (less than 4 mm) spherical catalyst carriers led to the development of Saint-Gobain NorPro’s Accu® Spheres.
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Pitfalls in managing precious metals assets (ERTC)
Jan-2019
Throughout Sabin’s 75 years in business, we have worked with a great number of petroleum and petrochemical companies, shipping, processing and recycling ...
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Greatly increase FCC residue processing through simple steps of additive control (ERTC)
Jan-2019
With oncoming challenges of IMO and further gaseous emissions control regulations, it is becoming a challenge for refiners in the European area to stay ...
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Reconsidering the business case for catalytic dewaxing (ERTC)
Jan-2019
Most refineries try to optimise their product mix to satisfy market demand for ultra-low sulphur diesel (ULSD) with good cold flow properties during cold ...
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A new generation of catalyst is born: TK-6001 HySwell (ERTC)
Jan-2019
There have been tremendous improvements in catalyst technology over the past 20-30 years to comply with ultra-low sulphur fuel legislation and to maximise ...
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Analysis, active filtration unlock guard vessel stability (ERTC)
Jan-2019
For the first time in years, they did not need jackhammers to unload the guard vessel. It was another short cycle, and there was another crust layer.
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A flexible and innovative solution to temporarily mitigate FCC catalyst losses (ERTC)
Jan-2019
In the fluid catalytic cracker (FCC), fluidisation of the catalyst is essential to ensure continuous operation of the unit.
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In-line H2S analysis during sulphiding (ERTC)
Jan-2019
Real-time, in-line analysis of the H2S concentration during hydroprocessing catalyst activation with DMDS Evolution E2 reduces the risk of exposure to ...
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New catalytic systems for converting hydrocarbons
Jan-2019
Novel schemes for the development of catalysts with high selectivity for hydrocarbon processing.