A process for reducing the environmental contaminants in a ISO8217 compliant Feedstock Heavy Marine Fuel Oil, the process involving: mixing a quantity of the Feedstock Heavy Marine Fuel Oil with a quantity of Activating Gas mixture to give a feedstock mixture; contacting the feedstock mixture with one or more catalysts to form a Process Mixture from the feedstock mixture; separating the Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil liquid components of the Process Mixture from the gaseous components and by-product hydrocarbon components of the Process Mixture and, discharging the Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil. The Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil is compliant with ISO 8217 for residual marine fuel oils and the Environmental Contaminants, which are selected from the group consisting of: a sulfur; vanadium, nickel, iron, aluminum and silicon and combinations thereof, have concentration less than 0.5 wt %. The Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil can be used as or as a blending stock for an ISO 8217 compliant, IMO MARPOL Annex VI (revised) compliant low sulfur or ultralow sulfur heavy marine fuel oil.

A method for preparing a sol comprising TiO.sub.2 and ZrO.sub.2 and/or hydrated forms of TiO.sub.2 and ZrO.sub.2. The method includes mixing a material which includes metatitanic acid in an aqueous phase with a zirconyl compound or with a mixture of several zirconyl compounds. The material is provided either as a suspension or as a filter cake from the sulfate method. The material includes a H.sub.2SO.sub.4 content of 3 to 15 wt.-% relative to a quantity of TiO.sub.2 in the material. The zirconyl compound or the mixture of several zirconyl compounds is mixed in a quantity that is sufficient to provide the sol depending on the H.sub.2SO.sub.4 content.

A process for reducing the environmental contaminants in a ISO 8217 compliant Feedstock Heavy Marine Fuel Oil (Feedstock), the process involving: mixing a quantity of the Feedstock with a quantity of Activating Gas mixture to give a feedstock mixture; contacting the feedstock mixture with one or more catalysts to form a Process Mixture from the feedstock mixture; separating the Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil liquid (Product) components of the Process Mixture from the gaseous components and by-product hydrocarbons of the Process Mixture and, discharging the Product. The Product is compliant with ISO standards for residual marine fuel oils and has a maximum sulfur content between the range of 0.05% wt. to 0.50% wt. The Product can be used as or as a blending stock for compliant, low sulfur or ultralow sulfur heavy marine fuel oil. A device for conducting the process is also disclosed.

A multi-stage process for the production of an ISO8217 compliant Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil from ISO 8217 compliant Feedstock Heavy Marine Fuel Oil involving a core process under reactive conditions in a Reaction System composed of one or more reaction vessels, wherein one or more of the reaction vessels contains one or more catalysts in the form of a structured catalyst bed and is operated under reactive distillation conditions. The Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil has a sulfur level has a maximum sulfur content (ISO 14596 or ISO 8754) between the range of 0.05 mass % to 1.0 mass. A process plant for conducting the process for conducting the process is disclosed.

A multi-stage process for the production of an ISO8217 compliant Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil from ISO 8217 compliant Feedstock Heavy Marine Fuel Oil involving a core process under reactive conditions in a Reaction System composed of one or more reaction vessels, wherein one or more of the reaction vessels contains one or more catalysts in the form of a structured catalyst bed and is operated under reactive distillation conditions. The Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil has a sulfur level has a maximum sulfur content (ISO 14596 or ISO 8754) between the range of 0.05 mass % to 1.0 mass. A process plant for conducting the process for conducting the process is disclosed.

A multi-stage process for the production of an ISO 8217 compliant Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil from ISO 8217 compliant Feedstock Heavy Marine Fuel Oil involving a Reaction System composed of one or more reactor vessels selected from a group reactor wherein said one or more reactor vessels contains one or more reaction sections configured to promote the transformation of the Feedstock Heavy Marine Fuel Oil to the Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil. The Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil has a Environmental Contaminate level has a maximum sulfur content (ISO 14596 or ISO 8754) between the range of 0.05 mass % to 1.0 mass. A process plant for conducting the process for conducting the process is disclosed that can utilize a modular reactor vessel.

A multi-stage process for the production of an ISO 8217 compliant Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil from ISO 8217 compliant Feedstock Heavy Marine Fuel Oil involving a Reaction System composed of one or more reactor vessels selected from a group reactor wherein said one or more reactor vessels contains one or more reaction sections configured to promote the transformation of the Feedstock Heavy Marine Fuel Oil to the Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil. The Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil has a Environmental Contaminate level has a maximum sulfur content (ISO 14596 or ISO 8754) between the range of 0.05 mass % to 1.0 mass. A process plant for conducting the process for conducting the process is disclosed that can utilize a modular reactor vessel.

In one aspect, catalyst modules are described herein comprises structural catalyst bodies having cross-sectional flow channel geometries and surface features for enhanced catalytic activity. In some embodiments, the catalyst modules and associated structural catalyst bodies are suitable for use in high particulate matter environments. Briefly, a catalyst module comprises a framework and a plurality of structural catalyst bodies positioned in the framework, a structural catalyst body comprising an outer peripheral wall and a plurality of inner partition walls forming individual flow channels of rectangular cross-section, the outer peripheral wall resistant to localized flexural failures induced by material between adjacent structural catalyst bodies of the module.

A multi-stage process for the production of an ISO8217 compliant Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil from ISO 8217 compliant Feedstock Heavy Marine Fuel Oil involving a core process under reactive conditions in a Reaction System composed of one or more reaction vessels, wherein one or more of the reaction vessels contains one or more catalysts in the form of a structured catalyst bed and is operated under reactive distillation conditions. The Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil has a sulfur level has a maximum sulfur content (ISO 14596 or ISO 8754) between the range of 0.05 mass % to 1.0 mass. A process plant for conducting the process for conducting the process is disclosed.

A multi-stage process for the production of an ISO8217 compliant Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil from ISO 8217 compliant Feedstock Heavy Marine Fuel Oil involving a core process under reactive conditions in a Reaction System composed of one or more reaction vessels, wherein one or more of the reaction vessels contains one or more catalysts in the form of a structured catalyst bed and is operated under reactive distillation conditions. The Product Heavy Marine Fuel Oil has a sulfur level has a maximum sulfur content (ISO 14596 or ISO 8754) between the range of 0.05 mass % to 1.0 mass. A process plant for conducting the process for conducting the process is disclosed.