Upgrading of light cycle oil by partial hydrogenation and selective ring opening over an iridium bifunctional catalyst

Research on Chemical Intermediates

Upgrading of light cycle oil by partial hydrogenation and selective ring opening over an iridium bifunctional catalyst

Dipali P. Upare, R. Nageswara Rao, Songhun Yoon and Chul Wee Lee

Abstract

An iridium catalyst supported on USY zeolite was evaluated for hydrotreating of light cycle oil (LCO) to reduce its aromaticity and improve its cetane index.

Products were analyzed by GC and 13C NMR spectrometry to determine quantitatively the aromatic carbon content and the increase in cetane index. It was found that addition of an appropriate amount of potassium was an effective way to optimize the acid properties of the catalyst. Results confirm that 0.9% (w/w) Ir/USY zeolite catalyst doped with 0.75% (w/w) K was highly suitable for partial hydrogenation and ring opening of LCO to improve cetane quality, thus increasing the extent of its blending ratio with the diesel pool.

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