Unit 2 Refining Process - 3
Unit 2 Refining Process - 3
Refining process
Hydrotreating is used to describe the Hydrocracking is the process of Hydrogenation is used when
process of the removal of sulphur, catalytic cracking of feedstock to aromatics are saturated by
nitrogen and metal impurities in the products with lower boiling hydrogen to form its
feedstock by hydrogen in the points by reacting them with corresponding naphthenes.
presence of a catalyst. hydrogen.
Hydrotreating
Hydrotreating
• Objectives
• Removing impurities, such as sulfur, nitrogen and oxygen for the control
of a final product specification or for the preparation of feed for further
processing (Example: naphtha reformer feed and FCC feed).
• They are also needed to adjust the final product specification for various
streams, such as light naphtha, kerosene and low sulfur fuel oils (LSFOs).
Role of Hydrotreating
1. Meeting finished product specification.
• Kerosene, gas oil and lube oil desulphurization.
• Olefin saturation for stability improvement.
• Nitrogen removal.
• De-aromatization for kerosene to improve cetane number, which is the
percentage of pure cetane in a blend of cetane and alpha-methyl-
naphthalene.
• The latter matches the ignition quality of kerosene sample.
Thiophene
Chemistry of hydrotreating
Pyrrole
Pyridine
Chemistry of hydrotreating
Peroxo group
Chemistry of hydrotreating
Chemistry of hydrotreating
• The catalysts mainly have pores with a surface area of (200 – 300 m2/g).
• Ni–Mo catalysts are chosen when higher activity is required for the saturation
of polynuclear aromatic compounds or for the removal of nitrogen and
refractory sulfur compounds.
• While Ni–W catalysts are chosen only when very high activity aromatic
saturation is required
DeNOx catalysts for the removal of nitrogen oxides from
combustion power plant stack gases by selective catalytic reduction
with ammonia; the products are harmless nitrogen and water vapor.
Typical DeNOx catalysts are honeycomb-shaped TiO2WO3V2O5
ceramics.
Diesel desulfurization
1. Reactor
2. Separator
3. Fractionator
Diesel desulfurization
Hydrocracker
Hydrocracking
• Hydrocracking is a catalytic hydrogenation process in which high molecular weight feedstocks
are converted and hydrogenated to lower molecular weight products.
• The catalyst used in hydrocracking is a bifunctional one. It is composed of a metallic part,
which promotes hydrogenation, and an acid part, which promotes cracking.
• Hydrogenation removes impurities in the feed such as sulfur, nitrogen and metals. Cracking
will break bonds, and the resulting unsaturated products are consequently hydrogenated into
stable compounds.
• Cracking will break bonds, and the resulting unsaturated products are consequently
hydrogenated into stable compounds.
For mechanism of hydrogenation reaction, kindly refer to the link below:
https://www.wou.edu/las/physci/ch334/lecture/lect16.htm
Role of Hydrocracker
• Hydrocracking plays an important role as one of the main conversion processes in the refinery.
• It is mainly used to produce middle distillates of low sulfur content such as kerosene and
diesel.
• If mild hydrocracking is used, a LSFO can be produced. More recently, it has been used for
aromatic removal by hydrogen saturation.
• More recently, it has been used for aromatic removal by hydrogen saturation.
• This interest in the use of hydrocracking has been caused by several factors, including
the demand for petroleum products has shifted to high ratios of gasoline and jet fuel
compared with the usages of diesel fuel and home heating oils,
by-product hydrogen at low cost and in large amounts has become available from
catalytic reforming operations,
Environmental concerns limiting sulfur and aromatic compound concentrations in
motor fuels have increased.
Feedstock of hydrocracker
VGO is the main feed for hydrocrakers, however a variety of feeds can be used. The feedstock
type has an important influence on the final products.
Hydrocracking chemistry
Single stage hydrocracking
• 40 – 80% of the feed
can be achieved.
• However if high conversion is
required the product from the
bottom of the distillation tower
is recycled back to the reactor
for complete conversion.