Catalytic cracking catalysts/regeneration

The types of reactors used for catalytic and noncatalytic gas-solid reactions are also often similar. Moving-bed reactors are used in blast furnaces and cement kilns. Fluidized-bed reactors are used for the roasting of sulflde ores and regeneration of catalytic cracking catalyst, and fixed-bed reactors are used to remove sulfur compounds from ammonia synthesis feed gas. When regeneration of the solid reactant is desired, two or more reactors operating in parallel are required if continuous, steady-state operation is to be achieved. 

This section provides brief descriptions of industrial processes in which noncatalytic gas-solid reactions play a major role. Although by no means complete, the discussion includes both traditional processes, such as the blast furnace for the production of iron from ore and the regeneration of fluidized-bed catalytic cracking catalyst, and newer processes such as the dry capture of SO2 from flue gas and the production of silicon for semiconductor applications. Each of the three primary reactor types is represented in the processes described. 

Catalytic cracking catalysts can deactivate by the extended exposure to water vapour at very high temperatures. In a commercial cracking unit such conditions can occur in the regenerator vessel... 

The MTO process employs a turbulent fluid-bed reactor system and typical conversions exceed 99.9%. The coked catalyst is continuously withdrawn from the reactor and burned in a regenerator. Coke yield and catalyst circulation are an order of magnitude lower than in fluid catalytic cracking (FCC). The MTO process was first scaled up in a 0.64 m /d (4 bbl/d) pilot plant and a successfiil 15.9 m /d (100 bbl/d) demonstration plant was operated in Germany with U.S. and German government support. 

The most dominant catalytic process in the United States is the fluid catalytic cracking process. In this process, partially vaporized medium-cut petroleum fractions called gas oils are brought in contact with a hot, moving, freshly regenerated catalyst stream for a short period of time at process conditions noted above. Spent catalyst moves continuously into a regenerator where deposited coke on the catalyst is burnt off. The hot, freshly regenerated catalyst moves back to the reactor to contact the hot gas oil (see Catalysts, regeneration). 

If FCCU operations are not changed to accommodate changes ia feed or catalyst quaUty, then the amount of heat required to satisfy the heat balance essentially does not change. Thus the amount of coke burned ia the regenerator expressed as a percent of feed does not change. The consistency of the coke yield, arising from its dependence on the FCCU heat balance, has been classified as the second law of catalytic cracking (7). 

Catalytic Pyrolysis. This should not be confused with fluid catalytic cracking, which is used in petroleum refining (see Catalysts, regeneration). Catalytic pyrolysis is aimed at producing primarily ethylene. There are many patents and research articles covering the last 20 years (84—89). Catalytic research until 1988 has been summarized (86). Almost all catalysts produce higher amounts of CO and CO2 than normally obtained with conventional pyrolysis. This indicates that the water gas reaction is also very active with these catalysts, and usually this leads to some deterioration of the olefin yield. Significant amounts of coke have been found in these catalysts, and thus there is a further reduction in olefin yield with on-stream time. Most of these catalysts are based on low surface area alumina catalysts (86). A notable exception is the catalyst developed in the former USSR (89). This catalyst primarily contains vanadium as the active material on pumice (89), and is claimed to produce low levels of carbon oxides. 

The catalytic cracking processes, as well as most other refinery catalytic processes, produce coke which collects on the catalyst surface and diminishes its catalytic properties. The catalyst, therefore, needs to be regenerated continuously or periodically essentially by burning the coke off the catalyst at high temperatures. 

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