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• What is the importance of analyzing basic nitrogen and non basic nitrogen in Hydrotreater and Hydrocracking feeds. How does they affects the process and catalysts?

  Dec-2022

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Answers

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• Marcio Wagner da Silva, Petrobras, marciows@petrobras.com.br

  Nitrogen compounds are knowed as strong inhibitors of activity of hydrotreating catalysts. Basic nitrogen compounds are the main concern related to the catalyst activity, but the non basic nitrogen compounds can lead to inhibition reactions during the hydrotreating processes. Another relevant impact of the non basic nitrogen compounds are poor performance of hydrodesulfurization due to the competitive adsortion over the active sites of the catalyst. The most part of nitrogen compounds are aromatics with great chemical stability, being hard to be hydrotreated. To overcome this challenge the nitrogen content in residue hydrotreating/hydrocraking units are controlled using adequate catalyst grading, in some cases with contaminants traps.

  In fixed bed hydrocracking units which operates with high nitrogen content feeds, it's common to use a hydrotreating section upstream to the hydrocracking section aiming to protect the hydrocracking catalyst which are normally expensive, furthermore are apllied separation vessels between the sections to reduce the nitrogen concentration in the hydrocracking section.

   

  Dec-2022