RFCC Catalysts for Chemical Feedstocks

When heavy oil and tar sands are accounted for, the petroleum reserves of the Western Hemisphere rival those of the Middle East. Unfortunately, many Western Hemisphere crudes are highly aromatic and contain more metals and sulfur than the light crudes that are currently processed in refineries. One of the most important processes in the refinery is the fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit which produces the majority of the gasoline and propylene produced by the refinery. This project will develop a new catalytic additive that can be used during normal FCC operations to (1) increase the conversion of the high-molecular-weight hydrocarbons (bottoms) found in heavy FCC feedstocks into valuable products; and (2) simultaneously lower the vapor pressure of the FCC gasoline stream, so that, when blended with ethanol, the FCC gasoline can meet the vapor pressure specifications for reformulated gasoline. In Phase I, several promising catalyst compositions were identified and tested using the ASTM microactivity test method. In Phase II, the catalysts will be optimized and long-term catalytic cracking tests will be performed in a fluidized bed reactor. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: By increasing the conversion of bottoms in FCC units, refiners should be able to use feedstocks derived from heavy crude oils and still meet the vapor pressure specifications for reformulated gasoline without the loss of product from the FCC unit. The use of this technology not only would increase revenues for the refinery but also would reduce the amoun