Grace Davison overview

Grace Davison Refining Technologies develop and manufacture FCC catalysts and additives that enable petroleum refiners to increase profits by improving yields and product quality. Grace Davison has introduced various new catalyst technologies for the profitable processing of a wide range of feedstocks, from hydrotreated/low-metal feeds through to heavy crudes with high contaminant metal levels. In addition, Grace Davison offers FCC catalysts for maximisation of propylene, an important feedstock for the petrochemical industry, as well as catalysts for the maximisation of LCO. This product portfolio reflects customer-focused R&D, which has resulted in the development of proprietary manufacturing processes allowing unique fine-tuning of the key catalytic properties acidity, pore structure, metals resistance and structural stabilisation. Grace Davison is also a leading supplier of FCC additives. The current portfolio of additives allows refiners to reduce SOx and NOx emissions from their FCC units, as well as lowering sulphur content in gasoline and diesel fuel. In addition, Grace Davison offers ZSM-5 additives for maximising propylene and gasoline octane, and additives promoting CO-combustion in the regenerator.

Grace Davison FCC Catalysts

A significant breakthrough in FCC catalyst design was achieved with the introduction of the Grace Davison EnhanceR Technology Platform. This platform involves the four technologies EPR (Pore Restructuring), EMR (Metals Resistance), EAM (Acidity Modification) and ESS (Structure Stabilisation). Rather than making separate modifications to the zeolite and matrix components, the EnhanceR manufacturing plant enables processing of input materials, intermediate products and end-product FCC catalysts. By this means the four EnhanceR technologies can be deployed synergistically, avoiding the antagonistic consequences frequently encountered when using the separate matrix/zeolite approach. The four technologies are described as follows:

• EPR technology causes physical restructuring of mesopores, impacting pore connectivity and pore size distribution.  EPR brings deeper bottoms cracking and improved coke selectivity.

• EMR technology provides improved contact of metal-passivation catalyst sites with metal-containing heavy feed molecules.  EMR enables chemical passivation of metal contaminants, protecting the zeolite and matrix functions while retaining excellent catalyst physical properties.

• EAM technology involves altering surface chemistry profiles, modifying the number, type, strength and distribution of acid sites.  EAM enables the customisation of catalytic activity and selectivity to better match specific processing requirements.

• ESS technology results in higher compositional and topographic integrity at both the micro and macro scales.  ESS brings improved resistance to hydrothermal deactivation.

First Generation EnhanceR Catalysts

The initial application of the EnhanceR approach to catalyst design resulted in a first generation of catalyst families, including NEKTOR, NOMUS and NADIUS. In resid-processing applications NEKTOR customers are utilising the superior coke selectivity and metals tolerance of the catalysts to relieve air blower constraints, increase the volume of feed processed and improve bottoms cracking via increased cat-to-oil and/or decreased regenerator temperature. NOMUS is also a resid catalyst family, and its high intrinsic bottoms cracking is allowing customers to crack deeper into the bottoms, and are the catalysts of choice for FCC units that are circulation-limited but have spare air capacity. NADIUS is a catalyst family that provides high conversion with hydrotreated/low-metal feeds.

• NEKTOR: resid FCC catalyst with superior coke selectivity
• NOMUS: resid FCC catalyst with intrinsic bottoms cracking
• NADIUS: FCC catalyst with high conversion for hydrotreated/low-metal feeds

Second Generation EnhanceR Catalyst Families

Further development of the EnhanceR Technology Platform provided a second generation of catalyst families. Users of NEKTOR-ULCC are seeing further improvement in coke selectivity, and are using this to increase conversion at maximum feedrate, achieving even better bottoms upgrading without requiring additional air. NOMUS-DMAX is a catalyst that is commercially proven to increase LCO yields, and can be used in both resid and low-metal applications.

• NEKTOR-ULCC: resid FCC catalyst with increased coke selectivity
• NOMUS-DMAX: FCC catalyst for increased LCO yields

Third Generation EnhanceR Catalyst Families

Most recently we have unveiled our third generation of EnhanceR catalyst families, based on new modifications of the existing technology. For example, a novel material deposition step in which the catalyst is coated with a thin layer of alumina results in higher activity and increased bottoms cracking. In addition, the Pore Restructuring technology can be modified to provide a shift in porosity specifically targeted at pore sizes in the range of 100-600 Angstrom in diameter, to provide the optimal boost in diffusivity and coke selectivity. Third-generation EnhanceR catalysts include:

• NaceR: FCC catalyst for hydrotreated/low-metal feeds that provides high activity and bottoms upgrading, as well as boosted C4 olefin selectivity and tailored delta coke
• DieseliseR: FCC catalyst for LCO maximisation
• ResidCrackeR: resid FCC catalyst providing maximum intrinsic bottoms cracking with minimal or no coke penalty
• PremieR: resid FCC catalyst providing the most coke-selective bottoms cracking

Grace Davison has also developed ProtAgon, an integral catalyst system that enables maximum propylene yields for FCC units running in the petrochemical mode. Compared to ZSM-5 additives, ProtAgon achieves higher propylene yields without loss of intrinsic cracking activity.

Grace Davison FCC Additives

Grace Davison also offers a complete portfolio of FCC additives, as summarised below:

• OlefinsMax^®: First ZSM-5 additive to contain 25 wt.% crystal.
• ProfiMax: ZSM-5 additive with enhanced activity and stability.
• OlefinsUltra^®: The most active ZSM-5 additive available.
• XNOx^®: Low-NOx combustion promoter.
• DENOX^®: NOx-reduction additive.
• Super DESOX^®: SOx-reduction additive.
• D-PriSM^®: Gasoline sulphur reduction additive.
• CP-3^®/CP-5^®: CO combustion promoters.

Advanced Refining Technologies (ART)

We sell hydroprocessing catalysts through Advanced Refining Technologies (ART), our joint venture with Chevron Products Company. We established ART to combine our technology with Chevron's in order to develop, market and sell hydroprocessing catalysts to customers from the petroleum refining industry worldwide. We are a leading supplier of hydroprocessing catalysts, including fixed-bed, onstream catalyst replacement (OCR) and ebullating bed products, designed for processing feedstocks. We also offer a full line of distillate catalysts used in processing ultra-low sulphur content gasoline and diesel fuel, including our SmART^® catalyst system and ApART^TM catalyst system, which are customised for individual refiners. These products are designed to help refiners meet their obligations to reduce sulphur content in their products.