DEVELOPMENT OF ULTRA LOW SULPHUR DIESEL PRODUCTION CATALYST

• Main Author: Ramdhani Husaini Fikri, Muhamad
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/85913
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

One of the commercially sold petroleum refinery fractions is diesel fuel, which is more efficient than gasoline, making it more economical for vehicle use. This efficiency makes diesel popular in the market, although sulfur emissions in the form of SOx are a significant concern. Currently, diesel fuels such as Pertamina Dex and Dexlite have sulfur content ranging from 300-2000 ppm. However, the Director General of ESDM has decreed that by 2026 the maximum sulfur content in diesel should be 50 ppm. In Europe, the implementation of EURO V regulations with sulfur content not exceeding 10 ppm has already begun. Sulfur removal in refineries is carried out through the hydrotreating process, which heavily depends on the catalyst used, specifically NiMo/?-Al2O3. The performance of a catalyst is could be seen through its kinetic parameters. This study aims to determine the kinetic data of the hydrodesulfurization (HDS) reaction catalyzed by NiMo/?-Al2O3-P and NiMo/?-Al2O3-P-MgO catalysts. Both catalysts are tested in HDS reactions using a Light Cycle Gas Oil feed in a batch reactor at a pressure of 32 bar and temperatures ranging from 310-330°C. The results of the study showed that increasing temperature increased the reaction kinetics, indicated by an increase in the reaction rate constant and conversion, both from experiments and ASPEN HYSYS simulations. Variations in operating condition parameters such as LHSV, temperature, and H2/HC ratio also affected the kinetics and conversion of sulfur. A higher LHSV decreased the conversion, while the H2/HC ratio was directly proportional to the conversion. To meet the sulfur specifications according to EURO V regulations and field condition limitations at the refinery (Pertamina RU-II), the optimum operating conditions obtained were LHSV 1.35 h-1, temperature 330°C, and H2/HC of 400 Nm3/m3. These optimum conditions were achieved using HDS 1 catalyst with an Ea value of 40,665.44 J/mol which had better kinetic results than HDS 2 which had an Ea value of 77511.2 J/mol.