Catalyst configuration for increased hydrocracking activity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016115402-A1
Application number	US-201514877027-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 7, 2015
Priority date	Oct 28, 2014
Publication date	Apr 28, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for producing an improved product slate during hydrocracking of a feedstock that results in production of naphtha and distillate fuels. The methods can include use of stacked beds and/or sequential reactors so that a feedstock is exposed to suitable catalysts under hydrocracking conditions and aromatic saturation conditions. The catalyst for performing the aromatic saturation process can be a catalyst including a Group VIII noble metal, such as Pt, Pd, or a combination thereof, while the hydrocracking catalyst can include Group VIB and Group VIII non-noble metals.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for processing a feedstock to form a distillate product, comprising:
exposing a feedstock having a T50 boiling point of at least about 430° F. (221° C.), a first aromatics content of at least about 5 wt %, and a sulfur content of about 500 wppm or less to a) a hydrocracking catalyst and b) an aromatic saturation catalyst under effective hydrocracking conditions to produce a hydrocracked effluent, the effective hydrocracking conditions being effective for converting at least about 5 wt % to about 20 wt % of the feedstock relative to a conversion temperature of 430° F. (221° C.), the hydrocracked effluent having a second aromatics content, a ratio of the second aromatics content to the first aromatics content being about 0.5 or less, the hydrocracking catalyst comprising at least one Group VIII non-noble metal, at least one Group VIB metal, or a combination thereof, the aromatic saturation catalyst comprising a Group VIII noble metal, wherein the hydrocracked effluent comprises at least a naphtha fuel product fraction and a distillate fuel product fraction.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a ratio of the second aromatics content to the first aromatics content is about 0.5 or less.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second aromatics content is less than about 10 wt %.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first aromatics content is at least about 15 wt %.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the feedstock has a T5 boiling point of at least about 430° F. (221° C.), a T95 boiling point of about 800° F. (427° C.) or less, or a combination thereof.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising fractionating at least a portion of the hydrocracked effluent to form at least a naphtha product fraction and a bottoms fraction.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the feedstock comprises at least a portion of the bottoms fraction.

8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the bottoms fraction comprises at least a portion of the distillate fuel product fraction.

9 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising dewaxing the hydrocracked effluent prior to fractionating the at least a portion of the hydrocracked effluent.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising exposing a feed having a sulfur content of greater than about 500 wppm to a hydroprocessing catalyst under effective hydroprocessing conditions to form a hydroprocessed effluent; and
separating the hydroprocessed effluent to form at least a hydroprocessed fraction having a T95 boiling point of about 1050° F. (566° C.) or less, wherein the feedstock having a T50 boiling point of at least about 430° F. (221° C.) comprises at least a portion of the hydroprocessed fraction having a T95 boiling point of about 1050° F. (566° C.) or less.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein separating the hydroprocessed effluent comprises fractionating the hydroprocessed effluent, the fractionating optionally further forming a second naphtha fuel product fraction.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the hydroprocessed effluent and the hydrocracked effluent are fractionated in a common fractionation process.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein exposing the feed having a sulfur content of at least about 500 wppm to a hydroprocessing catalyst under effective hydroprocessing conditions comprises:
exposing the feed having a sulfur content of greater than about 500 wppm to a hydrotreating catalyst under effective hydrotreating conditions, exposing the feed having a sulfur content of greater than about 500 wppm to a hydrocracking catalyst under effective hydrocracking conditions, or a combination thereof.

14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the feed having a sulfur content of greater than about 500 wppm has a T5 boiling point of at least about 430° F. (221° C.) and a T95 boiling point of about 1050° F. (566° C.) or less.

15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein at least about 50 wt % of the feedstock having a T50 boiling point of at least about 430° F. (221° C.) comprises the at least a portion of the hydroprocessed fraction having a T95 boiling point of about 1050° F. (566° C.) or less.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein aromatic saturation catalyst comprises about 0.1 wt % to about 1.8 wt % of Pt, Pd, or a combination thereof.

17 . A method for processing a feedstock to form a distillate product, comprising:
exposing a feedstock having a T50 boiling point of at least about 430° F. (221° C.), a first aromatics content of at least about 5 wt %, and a sulfur content of about 500 wppm or less to a hydrocracking catalyst under effective hydrocracking conditions to produce a hydrocracked effluent, the effective hydrocracking conditions being effective for converting at least about 5 wt % of the feedstock relative to a conversion temperature of 430° F. (221° C.), the hydrocracking catalyst comprising at least one Group VIII non-noble metal, at least one Group VIB metal, or a combination thereof; and exposing at least a portion of the hydrocracked effluent to an aromatic saturation catalyst comprising a Group VIII noble metal under effective aromatic saturation conditions to produce an aromatic saturation effluent, the aromatic saturation effluent having a second aromatics content, a ratio of the second aromatics content to the first aromatics content being about 0.5 or less, wherein the hydrocracked effluent comprises at least a naphtha fuel product fraction and a distillate fuel product fraction.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the second aromatics content is less than about 10 wt %, the first aromatics content is at least about 15 wt %, or a combination thereof.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the feedstock has a T5 boiling point of at least about 430° F. (221° C.), a T95 boiling point of about 800° F. (427° C.) or less, or a combination thereof.

20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein a ratio of the second aromatics content to the first aromatics content is about 0.5 or less.

Assignees

• Xu Xiaochun
• Miller Amanda K
• Madlinger Adam
• Quann Richard J
• Parker Dean Edwin
• Kaufman Jeffrey Lawrence
• Kawabe Matthew
• Exxonmobil Res & Eng Co

Inventors

• Xu Xiaochun
• Miller Amanda K
• Madlinger Adam
• Quann Richard J
• Parker Dean Edwin
• Kaufman Jeffrey Lawrence
• Kawabe Matthew

Classifications

• C10G65/12 Primary

  including cracking steps and other hydrotreatment steps · CPC title

• C10G47/02

  characterised by the catalyst used · CPC title

• C10G2300/202

  Heteroatoms content, i.e. S, N, O, P · CPC title

• C10G45/46

  characterised by the catalyst used · CPC title

• C10G2300/1096

  Aromatics or polyaromatics · CPC title