Process for activation and operation of a hydrocarbon upgrading catalyst

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11034896-B2
Application number	US-201716330935-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 4, 2017
Priority date	Sep 6, 2016
Publication date	Jun 15, 2021
Grant date	Jun 15, 2021

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.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process for upgrading a Fischer-Tropsch product stream, said process comprising:
(i) contacting a hydrocracking catalyst comprising any one of iron, cobalt or nickel with a hydrogen-containing stream having a feed temperature in the range of from 360° C. to 420° C.; then
(ii) reducing the feed temperature of the hydrogen-containing stream to a temperature in the range of from 220° C. to 280° C.; then
(iii) contacting the catalyst with the 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; then
(iv) contacting the catalyst with the 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 then
(v) contacting the catalyst with the Fischer-Tropsch product stream having a feed temperature in the range of from 360° C. to 420° C.,
wherein the catalyst is not activated by sulfiding.

2. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the hydrocracking catalyst comprises cobalt and further comprises molybdenum.

3. 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.

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

5. 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.

6. 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.

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

8. 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.

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

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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.

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

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. 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.

Assignees

• Bp Plc

Inventors

• Nemec Larry

Classifications

• C10G2300/4006

  Temperature · CPC title

• C10G47/14 Primary

  the catalyst containing platinum group metals or compounds thereof · CPC title

• C10G2300/1022

  Fischer-Tropsch products · CPC title

• B01J2523/845

  Cobalt · CPC title

• B01J23/44

  Palladium · CPC title