Low rare earth catalysts for FCC operations

PTQ-Petroleum Technology Quarterly, 2012 Q1

Low rare earth catalysts for FCC operations

Features including high zeolite and matrix stability and high accessibility architecture characterize a family of low rare earth FCC catalysts

Yen Yung and Ken Bruno

Albemarle Corporation

[EXCERPT]

Rare earths have found applications in oil refining for FCC catalysts and additives, which use lanthanum and cerium.  They are used in FCC catalysts because they increase the activity and stability of the zeolite, which is the most active component in the catalysts.

The effects of lanthanum on the performance of a zeolite-containing FCC catalyst are shown in Table 2.  The data was obtained from laboratory work in which two catalysts were compared in the short-contact-time riser test (SCR-RT) after a two-step cyclic metal deactivation with 5000 ppm of nickel (Ni), 5000 ppm Of vanadium (V) and a residue feedstock.  The catalysts have the same composition, but the first one has not been exchanged with rare earth and the second one contains 1 wt% RE2)3.

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