DEVELOPMENT OF HYDROTREATING CATALYST FOR 4,6-DMDBT HYDRODESULFURIZATION

• Main Author: Hendra, Theodorus
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/38801
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Diesel produced from petroleum processing contains sulfur compounds that can harm the environment and human health. The Government of Indonesia has issued a Ministerial Regulation which requires sulfur in diesel used in Indonesia not to exceed 50 ppm (Euro IV standard), no later than 2021. The sulfur compound in diesel which is the most difficult to react are 4,6-DMDBT. One important factor in the reaction is the type of catalyst used. The most commonly used catalyst in diesel hydrotreating is NiMo/?-Al2O3. The method that can be used to increase the activity of the catalyst is the addition of chelating agent. Citric acid is commonly used as chelating agent in the synthesis of diesel hydrotreating catalysts. The purpose of this study was to determine the best method of adding citric acid in the synthesis of diesel hydrotreating catalysts. Citric acid was impregnated into a calcined NiMo/?-Al2O3 catalyst, then the effect of post-impregnation treatment was investigated (calcination and drying). The results of the XRD pattern analysis showed that the two types of treatment were able to provide the effects of phase redispersion of NiMoO4 and MoO3 which were the inactive phase of the catalyst. The catalyst activity test in the batch reactor using DBT (dissolved in hexadecane) as feed at 300oC and 30 bar indicates that the best post-impregnation method is calcination which is able to increase the catalyst activity up to 1.80 times the activity of NiMo/?-Al2O3 catalyst. Comparison with commercial catalysts using batch reactor at 330oC and 60 bar shows that citric acid modified NiMo/?-Al2O3 catalyst has 1.36 times DBT HDS activity and 1.01 times 4,6-DMDBT HDS activity than of the commercial catalyst.