Resid processing

P. K. Ladwig, T. R. Steffens, S. L. Laley, D. P. Leta, and R. D. Patel, "Resid Processing in Fluid Catalytic Crackers," Foster Wheeler Heavy Oils Conference, Orlando, Fla., June 7, 1993. 

Davis, K., and Ritter, R. E., FCC Catalyst Design Considerations for Resid Processing—Part 2, Grace Davison Catalagram, No. 78, 1988. 

This section covers recent advances in the application of three-phase fluidization systems in the petroleum and chemical process industries. These areas encompass many of the important commercial applications of three-phase fluidized beds. The technology for such applications as petroleum resid processing and Fischer-Tropsch synthesis have been successfully demonstrated in plants throughout the world. Overviews and operational considerations for recent improvements in the hydrotreating of petroleum resids, applications in the hydrotreating of light gas-oil, and improvements and new applications in hydrocarbon synthesis will be discussed. 

Product distribution focuses on middle distillates (Table 9-15 Figure 9-24) with the process focused as a resid processing unit and inserted into a refinery just downstream from the vacuum distillation unit. 

The reduced coke, gas and hydrogen make of these types of catalysts open the road to a significant increase in resid processing. 

Table II. Resid Processing Challenges and Catalyst Development...

It is also clear that in the case of FCC with heat removal, the frontier of resid processability can at a certain moment be determined by the coke selectivity of the catalyst, while on the other hand the conversion of resid in a unit without heat removal may also be limited by the metal resistance of a catalyst. 

As discussed in the previous sections any improvements in coke selectivity can be utilized to extend the frontiers of resid processing as several types of poisons in the resid feed, most of all the polar hydrocarbons will increase the coke formed. Also for fuel gas we can observe that non-optimal vaporization and cracking conditions with resid will strongly enhance gas formation. A low coke and gas catalyst is hence a big plus for resid processing. (Table XII.)... 

Further reduction of "catalytic" coke and fuel gas production in order to allow more room for resid processing... 

Changing economic scenarios and available processing options often compel a refiner to pursue resid processing. Due to the varied properties of resid feeds, the refiner must carefully consider the choice of available FCC catalyst technology. This paper reviews novel matrix and zeolite technologies for resid processing applications to obtain better coke selectivity, gas selectivity and bottoms upgrading. Commercial experience and mechanism of separate particle vanadium traps to control vanadium deactivation is also reviewed. 

The loss in conversion is also partly caused by lower "effective catalyst activity" in the riser as a result of increased coke blockage of the catalyst pores with coke and higher vanadium and hydrothermal deactivation of the catalyst. The negative effects of resid processing on FCC yields can be reduced by adjusting the FCC process conditions (lower feed preheat, increased catalyst make-up, increased steam dispersion and stripping) and by the use of FCC catalyst formulations more suitable to such applications. 

It is generally accepted that the most suitable zeolites for resid processing as well as maximum octane-barrel applications are of the RE-USY type. The rare-earth exchange/ stabilization is tailored to match the FCC unit s LPG/ Gasoline quality requirements. For the... 

Figure 1. FCC Catalyst Components for Heavy Oil/Resid Processing.

Myers, D., Knapik, P., Lacijan, L., Brandner, K., Use of Catalyst Coolers to Improve Resid Processing in FCC Units NPRA Annual Meeting, March 20-20 2, 1994... 

I was called to Axxoco Oil Co. lo help increase the capacity of their delayed coker. The refinery was bottlenecked by resid processing capacity so that any incremental increase in coking capacity would permit the plant to increase crude runs substantially. 

It may be true that the wheels of progress turn slowly, at least insofar as refinery resid processing is concerned. The delayed coker—the historic refinery garbage can—is still the preeminent route for turning low-value resid into high-value distillates and gasoline. 

---