Abstract: Catalytic hydrotreating is a catalytic refining process widely used to remove sulfur, unsaturated hydrocarbons, and nitrogen from petroleum products such as naphtha, gasoline, diesel fuel, kerosene, and fuel oil. It is also referred to as hydroprocessing or hydrodesulfurization, commonly occurs at multiple locations in a refinery. Hydrodesulfurization processes typically include facilities for the capture and removal of the resulting hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas, which is subsequently converted into elemental sulfur or sulfuric acid, as byproducts. The processes are used to ensure that petroleum products meet performance specifications and involve a number of chemical conversions that have been described in this chapter. Currently all petroleum refineries worldwide have one or more hydrotreating and/or hydrodesulfurization units. With the influx of heavier feedstocks into refineries, hydroprocessing will assume a greater role in the refinery of the future. A growing dependence on high-heteroatom heavy oils and residua has emerged, as the availability of conventional crude oil continues to decrease because of the worldwide depletion of petroleum reserves. The ever-growing tendency to convert lower grade feedstocks to liquid products is causing an increase in the total sulfur content of the penultimate products. Refiners must, therefore, continue to remove substantial amounts of sulfur from the lighter fractions so that the final products meet required specifications. However, residua, heavy crude oil, and tar sand bitumen pose difficulties because they tend to form coke and to shorten catalyst life.
Publication Year: 2010
Publication Date: 2010-12-14
Language: en
Type: book-chapter
Indexed In: ['crossref']
Access and Citation
Cited By Count: 5
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