Advanced Refining Technology (ART), a joint venture between Chevron and W. R. Grace, has validated Avantium’s high throughput technology for independent catalyst testing of hydrocracking catalysts.
Avantium have performed a series of hydrocracking catalysts tests in collaboration with ART in order to demonstrate the accuracy and discrimination power of Avantium’s 16-parallel reactors micro-pilot plant. The once-through tests were performed at a wide conversion range (40 – 70 wt%) with ART’s market leading hydroprocessing catalysts using real feedstock (untreated VGO) . Clear discrimination between catalysts performances was established with excellent repeatability in results for duplicated reactors (high precision for increased confidence). ART has independently validated the data quality (precision, accuracy, and reproducibility) while crosschecking the catalysts performance obtained by Avantium with results from their own Pilot Plants.
Avantium proven Flowrence® parallel fixed bed reactor platform generates accurate and repeatable data and is very well configured for side-by-side catalyst performance tests, allowing for a direct comparison of refinery catalysts with a little to no variation on the reactor loading and low amounts of feed (less waste generated).
“ART is a leading supplier of hydroprocessing catalysts around the world. We are very pleased to formally obtain the endorsement from ART of our testing approach, strategies and experimental setup,” commented Tiago Vilela, BD Director Refinery Catalyst Testing. “We continue to work with the catalyst vendors to improve our services in order to provide our customers meaningful results to enable fact-based decisions and ultimately increase their competitiveness & profitability.”