Process for Activation and Operation of a Hydrocarbon Upgrading Catalyst

Abstract

The present invention provides a process for upgrading a Fischer-Tropsch product by hydrocracking in the presence of a hydrocracking catalyst in a reactor, wherein the process is initiated by a series of steps (i) to (iv). The hydrocracking catalyst is (i) contacted with a hydrogen-containing stream having a feed temperature of from 360 C. to 420 C.; (ii) the feed temperature of the hydrogen-containing stream is reduced to a temperature of from 220 C. to 280 C.; (iii) the catalyst is contacted with a Fischer-Tropsch product stream having a feed temperature of from 220 C. to 280 C., which is co-fed with the hydrogen-containing stream; and (iv) the catalyst is co-fed with a Fischer-Tropsch product stream and hydrogen-containing stream having feed temperatures of from 380 C. and 400 C. for at least four days and wherein the hydrocracking catalyst is not activated by sulfiding.

Claims

1. A process for upgrading a Fischer-Tropsch product by contacting a hydrocracking catalyst in a reactor with a Fischer-Tropsch product stream having a feed temperature in the range of from 360 C. to 420 C., wherein, before the catalyst is contacted with the Fischer-Tropsch product stream having a feed temperature in the range of from 360 C. to 420 C., said process is initiated by; (i) contacting the hydrocracking catalyst with a hydrogen-containing stream having a feed temperature in the range of from 360 C. to 420 C.; (ii) reducing the feed temperature of the hydrogen-containing stream to a temperature in the range of from 220 C. to 280 C.; and (iii) contacting the catalyst with a Fischer-Tropsch product stream having a feed temperature in the range of from 220 C. and 280 C. by co-feeding with the hydrogen-containing stream; (iv) contacting the catalyst with Fischer-Tropsch product stream having a feed temperature in the range of from 380 C. and 400 C. by co-feeding with the hydrogen-containing stream and wherein the catalyst is not activated by sulfiding.

2. A process according to claim 1, wherein the hydrocracking catalyst comprises a metal, or an oxide thereof, selected from iron, cobalt, nickel, platinum, palladium, rhenium, ruthenium, molybdenum, tungsten, or mixtures thereof.

3. A process according to claim 1, wherein the hydrocracking catalyst comprises any one of iron, cobalt or nickel and optionally a Group 6 metal.

4. A process according to claim 3, wherein the hydrocracking catalyst comprises cobalt and molybdenum.

5. A process according to claim 1, wherein the hydrocracking catalyst comprises platinum or palladium.

6. A process according to claim 1, wherein the hydrocracking catalyst is contacted with the hydrogen-containing stream in step (i) for a period in the range of from 6 to 36 hours.

7. A process according to claim 1, wherein the catalyst comprises a support.

8. A process according to claim 1, wherein the feed temperature of the hydrogen-containing stream in step (i) is in the range of from 360 C. to 420 C.

9. A process according to claim 1, wherein Fischer-Tropsch product stream in step (iv) has a feed temperature in the range of from 380 C. to 400 C.

10. A process according to claim 1, wherein step (iv) is operated for a period of at least 96 hours.

11. A process according to claim 1, wherein the feed temperature of the hydrogen-containing stream in step (ii) and/or the feed temperature of the Fischer-Tropsch product stream in step (iii) is in the range of from 240 C. to 260 C.

12. A process according to claim 1, wherein the Fischer-Tropsch product stream comprises a Fischer-Tropsch wax.

13. A process according to claim 1, wherein the hydrogen-containing stream comprises a stream of at least 50 wt. % hydrogen, with the balance being made up of inert gas diluents.

14. A process according to claim 1, wherein the hydrocracking catalyst may be contacted with the hydrogen-containing stream in steps (i) through (iv) at a pressure in the range of from atmospheric pressure to 10 MPa.

15. A process according to claim 1, wherein the hydrocracking catalyst is contacted with the hydrogen-containing stream in step (i) for a period in the range of from 20 to 30 hours.

16. A process according to claim 1, wherein the catalyst comprises a support selected from silica, alumina, silica/alumina, zeolites, ceria, zirconia, titania, and zinc oxide.

17. A process according to claim 1, wherein the feed temperature of the hydrogen-containing stream in step (i) is in the range of from 360 C. to 390 C.

18. A process according to claim 1, wherein Fischer-Tropsch product stream in step (iv) has a feed temperature in the range of from 380 C. to 390 C.

19. A process according to claim 1, wherein the feed temperature of the hydrogen-containing stream in step (ii) and/or the feed temperature of the Fischer-Tropsch product stream in step (iii) is in the range of from 245 C. to 255 C.

20. A process according to claim 1, wherein the hydrogen-containing stream comprises a stream of at least 95 wt. % hydrogen, with the balance being made up of inert gas diluents.

Description

[0041] FIG. 1 shows a comparison of the activity of a catalyst activated at a maximum temperature of 385 C. and at 450 C.

EXAMPLE 1

[0042] Activation and Hydrocracking with a CoMo Catalyst According to the Present Invention

[0043] A hydrocracking catalyst comprising cobalt and molybdenum was activated by flowing hydrogen across the catalyst at a GHSV of 2000 NL/L-h 24 hours at a hydrogen feed temperature of 385 C. After cooling to a feed temperature of 250 C., co-feeding of a Fischer-Tropsch wax was started. The feed temperature was subsequently raised to 370 C., after which hydrocracking was observed, and maintained at this temperature for 1 day, before being raised to 385 C. and being maintained at this temperature for 4 days. Finally the Wax Conversion was determined at various temperatures as shown in Table 1.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Wax Conversion after low temperature hydrogen reduction at 385 C. Temperature Wax Conversion [ C.] [wt %/wt %] 378 91.3 374 81.4 374 78.5 373 75.2 366 56.4 364 46.8 365 49.9

COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE A

[0044] Activation and Hydrocracking with a CoMo Catalyst not in Accordance with the Present Invention

[0045] A hydrocracking catalyst comprising cobalt and molybdenum was activated by flowing hydrogen across the catalyst for 12 hours at a of GHSV of 2000 NL/L-h and a hydrogen feed temperature of 450 C. After cooling to a feed temperature of 250 C. the reduced catalyst was subsequently used for hydrocracking by contacting with a Fischer-Tropsch wax having a feed temperature of 368 C. for 10 days, which was subsequently raised to 383 C. for 4 days Finally the Wax Conversion was determined at various temperatures as shown in Table 2.

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Wax Conversion following high temperature hydrogen reduction at 450 C. Temperature Wax Conversion [ C.] [wt %/wt %] 380 93.0 375 82.3 375 83.0 374 79.7 370 63.6 369 64.7 366 51.7 361 30.3 360 24.7 360 24.7

[0046] Wax conversion in the subsequent hydrocracking reactions according to Example 1 and Comparative Example A were determined at the various temperatures used over the course of the upgrading operation. These results are represented graphically in FIG. 1. FIG. 1 illustrates that both activation procedures afford a hydrocracking catalyst which exhibits almost identical levels of conversion in the hydrocracking reaction at the different temperatures implemented. Thus, the present invention provides an initiation procedure which affords comparable hydrocracking activity in a hydrocracking process, yet avoids the high-temperature, high-energy activation procedures conventionally used in prior art processes.