Simulation of Residue Hydrodesulfurization Reaction Based on Catalyst Deactivation Model

A model was proposed to describe deactivation of hydrodesulfurization catalysts for residues. In this model, demetallization interacts with coking reaction on a catalyst, and these two reactions cause both active site poisoning and pore plugging. According to the pore diffusion theory, the reduction of active surface area and effective diffusivity affects the catalyst deactivation. A simulator for residue hydrodesulfurization was developed on the basis of this deactivation model.The parameters of this simulator were obtained from residue hydrodesulfurization experiments, and they were found to be dependent on the properties of the catalyst and the feedstock. Simulation by use of the above specified parameters enabled to predict the actual operations of bench scale fixed-bed and moving-bed reactors.