Key Transformations In The Refinery Catalyst Industry Creates Several R&D Initiatives, Notes Frost & Sullivan

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Mountain View, CA /PRNewswire/ -- Major transformations in the refinery catalyst industry - improving profit margins, lowering capital investments, raising energy efficiency, and meeting escalating fuel specifications - demand a surge of industry initiatives. Catalysts play a key role to help refiners attain fuel standards, improvise operational efficiency, increase conversion and selectivity, and keep up with green trends. The refining industry looks to leverage its technology benefits and aims to develop cost-effective technologies that continue to aid compliance with industry standards and specifications.

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New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (http://www.technicalinsights.frost.com), Refinery Catalysts - A Strategic Assessment of R&D Trends and Developments, finds the refinery catalyst industry intent to provide consistent innovation to meet market and technology demands. Factors from the economic, environmental, legislative, and social fronts drive the industry to produce catalysts that ensure higher quality fuels.

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"For several years, the demand for maintaining high-octane number has been a determining factor for the refinery catalysts' design," notes Technical Insights Research Analyst Christina Priya Dhanuja. "High-compression engines and high-performance cars continue to require high-octane gasoline, spurring developments relevant to reformate catalysts."

Catalyst design, with respect to the material, pore structure, and other key characteristics of the process technology is directed to maximize fuel octane levels. For instance, a leading North American oil and refinery catalyst solution provider has developed a reformate alkylation technology that converts benzene-rich reformate and light fluidized catalytic cracking (FCC) off-gas olefins to high-octane gasoline. In essence, the process upgrades C2 and C3 olefins to a high-octane gasoline blendstock.

Meanwhile, legislative and regulative pressures have compelled refiners to employ active catalysts for hydrodesulphurization (HDS), hydrodenitrogenation, and removal of aromatics.

"However, industry experts say that there is a need to develop catalysts that are suited for specific application segments," explains Technical Insights analyst Rajaram Vijayan. "For example, an HDS catalyst may not provide the same performance quotient for the refining of vacuum gas oils, as the concentration of sulfur or aromatic compounds present in these oils is not the same as that in middle distillates, thereby requiring further optimization of the catalyst properties."

The challenges involved in the development of catalysts suited for specific application segments and their incorporation into the established refinery procedures require an appraisal of the hydrogen supply. Therefore, scientists will have to reconfigure processes that minimize hydrogen consumption and maximize its production, while adhering to the catalyst performance standards and legislative requirements.

"Future reduction in gasoline aromatic content, as dictated by environmental regulations, will lead to less hydrogen generation from reforming, which is the conventional source of hydrogen supply within a refinery," observes Dhanuja. "However, the dependent refinery processes will be adversely affected if hydrogen is in short supply."

Refinery Catalysts - A Strategic Assessment of R&D Trends and Developments, a part of the Technical Insights subscription, provides a technology overview and outlook for refinery catalysts. The study covers the most recent R&D trends in refinery catalysts, while providing insights into the factors that are likely to affect large-scale commercialization. Further, this research service includes detailed technology analysis and industry trends evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants.

Technical Insights is an international technology analysis business that produces a variety of technical news alerts, newsletters, and research services.

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SOURCE Frost & Sullivan