AM-05-18 ULSD with BRIMTM Catalyst Technology

Description:

In this paper we will describe how Topsøe in recent years has succeeded in developing hydrotreating catalysts with considerably higher activity than previous generations of catalysts. Since the discovery by Topsøe researchers of the active Co-Mo-S type nanostructures, catalyst development has advanced far beyond the days when progress relied on a trial-and-error approach (2). In this connection, it is important to mention that recent breakthroughs have provided us with more opportunities for science-driven catalyst developments and new solutions for meeting the ULSD challenge. Together with researchers from the University of Aarhus and the Technical University of Denmark, we have been engaged in research which for the first time has provided atom-resolved images of the active Co-Mo-S structures. More importantly, such studies have provided direct information on how sulfur-containing molecules may interact and react with the active structures (3) and this insight has provided a new picture of the hydrogenation function of hydrotreating catalysts. The role of support interactions and the origin of Type I and Type II structures have also been elucidated recently. Inspired by the new fundamental knowledge, Topsøe has developed and commercialized the unique BRIMTM catalyst preparation technology.