Catalyst analysis and testing is essential for determining whether a fresh catalyst meets specifications and is likely to perform as intended. Analysis and testing are also important for deciding whether a used catalyst can be reused after separation and regeneration. Analysis starts with taking representative samples from a number of containers, remembering that the granular material may be inhomogeneous, with slight variations from container to container due to variations in the production process and depending on the position where the sample is taken, due to segregation in a container.
Catalyst Intelligence can assist in setting up both the sampling program and the analytical program aimed at minimizing the work required (costs) and maximizing the amount of information obtained. The analytical program will depend on the precise question to be answered. It is important to be specific about the question to prevent over-analysis and avoidable costs. Providing the analytical lab with clear instructions on the sequence of samples and the types of analysis to be conducted, including intermediate reporting, can save money and provide answers more quickly when time is of the essence.
Catalyst Intelligence can also perform activity tests to assist with catalyst selection or root cause investigation. In addition to the catalyst testing, we have the hydrotreater optimization model to help predict how a catalyst will perform in a commercial unit based on lab-scale testing.
Over the years, Catalyst Intelligence has helped several customers with analysis of fresh and spent catalysts. The fresh catalysts were analyzed to determine whether or not the catalyst met the specification for use. The spent catalysts were analyzed to determine the noble metal content for recovery, or the fouling with catalyst poisons such as As, P, Ca. The side-by-side activity testing of fresh catalysts was done to help select the best catalyst for specific units.
In case you are interested in catalyst analysis and testing, feel free to give us a call. Based on our experience we can make you a proposal to answer your question with minimum number of tests and thus at lowest analytical cost.
See also our blog with articles that might interest you.
