The quest for improved performance

The flexibility of hydrocrackers to tailor the production of high-value products makes these reactors the heart of modern refineries. In hydrocracking, product yields and properties are determined by the feedstock, the cracking catalyst’s selectivity, the process conditions and the use of the unconverted oil. The central role that hydrocracking catalysts play in this process means that the development of new and more effective catalyst solutions is very valuable for the refining industry.

Criterion Catalysts & Technologies (Criterion), Zeolyst International and Shell Global Solutions have worked together and taken a leading role in catalyst development with the introduction of a classic product portfolio in the 1990s followed by a state-of-the-art portfolio in the early 2000s, which was based on new zeolite technology. Behind these industry-leading products is a story of inspiration and hard work from dedicated teams of scientists who devise, develop and optimise new catalyst systems.

Impact spoke to Cees Ouwehand, Senior Team Leader of Hydrocracking Catalyst Development, Shell Global Solutions, to find out how the development process works and to gain an insight into the factors that drive catalyst research and development (R&D). Cees joined Shell in 1974 and started working in the oil products group. After various research positions in oil products, engineering and hydrocarbon processing, he moved to catalyst R&D in 1996.

For Cees, the attraction of R&D work is obvious. “I like to investigate and find out how things work and how they might work better,” he says. “This is what drives my colleagues and me in the R&D team. Of course, we are not following our scientific instincts in isolation; our programme is shaped and guided by the needs of our customers. In a very real sense, all the research we do is led by our customers’ needs.

“The main driver for hydrocracking catalyst research is to maximise the value from the hydrocrackers that use our products. This value is unique for every hydrocracker and ranges from maximising diesel or naphtha to making bottoms that are great feedstocks for lubricant units, ethylene crackers or fluidised catalytic crackers. We do all this while processing a wide variety of feedstocks such as automotive, vacuum and coker gas oil, deasphalted oil and synthetic oils.”

How does working with the customer help in the quest for maximising performance? Cees explains: “Our research is most definitely driven by the market. We focus on areas that we know will bring direct and significant customer benefits. The product development management team has a critical role during the early stages of customer collaboration. We start by looking at a customer’s specific requirements, gathering information, identifying representative feedstocks and reviewing the technology of their hydrocracker. Then we create catalyst prototypes that we evaluate using screening tests involving state-of-the-art nanotechnology. We then select the best options for commercialisation.”

According to Cees, the current biggest challenge for the hydrocracking catalyst development team is the quest for new catalyst materials. “Right now,” he says, “we are busy looking for the materials that will replace the current state-of-the-art portfolio. The search for new solutions is continuous, and, as researchers, we are always looking for a breakthrough discovery that will take us in a completely new direction and help us to develop the next generation of products.”

Cees and his team work in close cooperation with the operators of Shell hydrocracking units and third-party units. The focus on improvement and increasing value is relentless, as Cees explains. “We can never be complacent about the great catalysts we develop and the support we offer. Both Shell and third-party operators like to keep us on our toes by conducting regular assessments to confirm catalyst performance. Knowing that our products pass such scrutiny with flying colours keeps us motivated in the quest to make the best hydrocracking catalysts in the market.”