Chapter 7 Microactivity Evaluation of FCC Catalysts in the Laboratory: Principles, Approaches and Applications

Abstract

This chapter discusses the use of the Microactivity Test (MAT) unit as the primary tool for the laboratory evaluation of Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) catalysts. The laboratory evaluation of FCC catalysts has evolved into a very common method for measuring the performance characteristics of experimental and commercial catalyst samples. While many testing philosophies have been developed over the last twenty years, the most common method employed within virtually every laboratory, makes use of the MAT Unit. The MAT is not the only approach for assessing catalyst performance, but it is the single most common one. The MAT is the primary tool in accessing the performance of catalysts sampled from commercial operating units, as well as experimental and new commercial samples. The former are commonly referred to as “equilibrium catalysts” or “E-Cats.” The evaluation of fresh catalysts normally includes a deactivation step that precedes the actual MAT evaluation. This deactivation typically involves the steaming of a catalyst sample at temperatures ranging from 1000°F to 1700°F for 2 to 24 hours. The primary objective is to deactivate a fresh catalyst, such that its performance in the MAT is representative of what is observed when testing a commercially deactivated sample of the same catalyst. In this way, the prediction of commercial performance for new catalysts can be made. An additional deactivation parameter that is widely studied is that induced by the presence of metals in the hydrocarbon feedstock.