US EPA

8748797 

Journal Article 

EVALUATION OF CATALYSTS FOR THE LIQUID PHASE HYDROGENATION OF REFINERY VACUUM RESIDUUM 

Herrmann, WAO; Bowles, KW 

1973 

One of the later developments in the catalytic hydrogenation of heavy, asphaltic residual oils to produce gasoline and other petroleum products is the German ″Combi″ process in which the feed oil is first treated in the liquid phase and then in the vapour phase. Efficient vapour phase catalysts have been developed in Germany and the United States and considerable research work has been carried out on liquid phase catalysts in Germany. However, very little work has been done on this continent to find a satisfactory catalyst for the liquid phase operation. If the Combi hydrogenation process is to be used for the refining of residual oils from Canadian crudes, an efficient and inexpensive liquid phase catalyst must be readily available in Canada. Based on an extensive experimental evaluation of suitable liquid phase catalysts it is considered that the iron oxide residue, with or without promoters, and the Bienfait lignite, with an iron promoter are efficient and inexpensive liquid phase catalysts of Canadian origin.