Coprocessing of Petroleum Derived Vacuum Bottoms and a Lignite using Catalyst Precursors

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter explores the coprocessing of petroleum-derived vacuum bottoms and lignite using catalyst precursors. Petroleum-derived vacuum bottoms are known to give lower distillate yields than bitumen-derived vacuum bottoms under the same process conditions. The use of appropriate catalysts is a way to increase distillate yields. There are a number of ways to utilize catalysts in coprocessing using petroleum-derived vacuum bottoms to enhance the process efficiency. Comparison of the organometallic compounds runs and the metal salt runs indicates that ferric acetylacetonate and ferrocene give higher coal and pitch conversions than FeSO 4 or NiSO 4 . This is reflected in a slightly higher distillate yield in the ferric acetylacetonate run and a substantially higher distillate yield in the ferrocene run. Distillate elemental analyses for these runs are essentially the same as those for the metal salts. Slightly higher nitrogen and sulfur contents in the distillates from these runs stem from higher concentrations of nitrogen and sulfur in the feed slurry. Lower unconverted coal and coke yields and increased distillate yields without buildup of asphaltenes and preasphaltenes indicates that the organometallics are more efficient catalyst precursors than the metal salts.