Hydrocarbon Processing - September 2022 - 83

History of the HPI-The 1970s
BASF Refinery Catalysts
BASF Refinery Catalysts: Innovating the future
from in-situ zeolites to renewable feedstocks
Global demand for energy today is growing
rapidly due to an increasing population
and urbanization, combined with a rising
middle class. Sources of energy supply have
evolved throughout human history, and to
meet society's needs the global energy supply
now needs greater diversification and
sustainability. Since the 1865 founding of
BASF, the company has been involved with
organic and inorganic chemistry and the creation
of innovative products for the petrochemical
and the energy industry.
BASF has supported the refining industry
with FCC catalysts and additives since 1972, a
year after launching its gas treatment business
(OASE®). BASF also provided new innovations
to refiners which included fuels additives,
guard beds for sulfur, chloride and fluoride
removal, SHU catalysts (selective hydrogenation
catalyst), Claus catalysts, dearomatization
catalysts, and deolefination catalysts.
The fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit
was a critical innovation to meet the modern
world's energy demand. Donald Campbell,
Eger Murphree, Homer Martin, and Charles
Tyson are credited with the landmark invention
of FCC, which revolutionized the refining
industry by providing an efficient process
to increase the yield of high-octane gasoline
from crude oil. New catalysts were needed for
the FCC unit to make the process work.
BASF extended upon our Thermofor catalytic
cracking (TCC) catalyst (also known as
Moving Bed Catalyst) to create a novel FCC
catalyst product using an in-situ zeolite crystallization
process. Walter Haden and Frank
Dzierzanowski invented BASF's unique in-situzeolite
growth technology to produce BASF's
FCC catalysts. Their unique catalyst invention
was awarded a US patent in 1968. In 1972, BASF
rapidly launched a new production facility to
introduce this novel technology to the refining
industry. BASF's FCC technology enabled the
industry to capitalize on the emerging design
trends and new technology designs installed
in turnarounds and new construction in the
late 1970s and until today. Design features
such as short contact time riser reactors, new
nozzle atomization designs and close coupled
cyclone technology were introduced to the
market, which enabled BASF's novel high
SPONSORED CONTENT
activity FCC catalysts to deliver the performance
required in the market.
The emerging need for increased selectivity
to propylene and butylene also have been
supported with new technologies, such as the
2019 introduction of the multiple framework
topology (MFT) technology, which resulted
in Fourte®, Fourtune® and Fourtitude® product
introductions for butylene selectivity in VGO
and resid feedstocks. Improved Zeolite Y (IZY)
technology enhanced our Distributed Matrix
Structure (DMS) technology to deliver leading
catalyst activity and improved diffusion
capability. Recent improvements in metals
passivation and trapping have resulted in the
introduction of Valor® for vanadium passivation
and our Boron Based Technology (BBT)
for nickel passivation. BoroCat®, BoroFlex® and
Borotec® FCC catalysts are all part of the BBT
family of product delivering the novel innovation
for use in resid applications.
Additionally, BASF has continued to
deliver innovative additives to meet the performance
and environmental needs of the
FCC unit. EnviroSOx® supports SOX emissions
reductions while our ZIP® and ZEAL® products
are designed to enhance propylene yields.
Enable® is our newest CO promoter which also
has a lower NOx generation profile than typical
platinum CO promoters.
The transition to sustainable energy
requires continued innovation from BASF
and others to support the FCC unit changes
as refining remains a key part of the global
energy portfolio. BASF's research and development
expertise continues to lead the way
developing new innovative and creative
catalysts and process solutions to enable
the use of new alternative feeds - such as
biomass, bio-oils/ fats, and pyrolysis oils. The
emergence of regulations supporting decarbonatization
have now created an opportunity
in refining to use these more sustainable
feedstocks and eventually the potential to
evaluate new carbon capture technologies
such as OASE® for stack gas carbon capture.
The increasing use of renewable energy as
a part of the refining complex also allows
refiners to consider production of green or
blue hydrogen to support their hydrogen
requirements while significantly reducing
their carbon footprint.
Meeting the energy needs of the future
requires a diverse network of refiners, licensors,
experts, and suppliers to work together
to meet the sustainability and energy challenges
for our future. At BASF, we create
chemistry for a sustainable future.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Address: BASF Corporation,
33 Wood Avenue,
08830-0770 ISELIN, United States
Email: mark.schmalfeld@basf.com
Website: www.catalysts.basf.com/
refinery-catalysts
Hydrocarbon Processing's Centennial Anniversary | SEPTEMBER 2022 83
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Hydrocarbon Processing - September 2022

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