Philosophical Overview of Testing

Paul O Connor, Geoffrey L. Woolery, and Toru Takatsuka  

The proper testing of hydrocarbon conversion catalysts is of interest for the catalyst producers as well as the catalyst users. The deciscion on whether or not to continue the development of a new catalyst technology, or to use a new catalyst in a commercial situation will often depend on the results we see in a laboratory test. 

It is in the interest of both the catalyst producer and the catalyst user, that the proper tests are used, and we feel that this is an area in which an open communication will definitely benefit both, yielding a Win-Win situation. 

The need for having good and realistic catalyst performance testing capabilities is obvious (1) For the catalyst producer, effective catalyst innovation is only possible if the many possible ideas and developments can be effectively checked. The costs of catalyst development are. Therefore a critical screening of the many leads generated is required. 

For the catalyst user, it is crucial that on one hand no catalysts are used which endanger the continuity of operations, while on the other hand the best catalyst available to suit the unit should selected at the earliest stage as possible, in order to maximize the benefits that the catalyst brings. 

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