Description
The Vinci Technologies FCC Catalyst Deactivation Unit is a fully automated laboratory system designed to study FCC catalyst deactivation under controlled and representative conditions. The unit reproduces the main aging mechanisms encountered in refinery FCC units, allowing accurate evaluation of catalyst stability and resistance to deactivation. The system offers several configurable operating modes to reproduce the main FCC catalyst deactivation mechanisms encountered in refinery operation.
Hydrothermal deactivation / steam treatment – ASTM D4463
This mode reproduces the hydrothermal aging that occurs in FCC regenerators, where catalysts are repeatedly exposed to high temperatures and high steam concentrations. In the unit, the catalyst is treated under controlled steam flow and temperature (typically 750–820 °C) for a defined period. This treatment simulates the structural degradation of the zeolite phase, including loss of crystallinity and surface area, which leads to a progressive reduction of catalyst activity.
Mitchell Metal Impregnation (MM)
The catalyst is impregnated with controlled amounts of nickel and vanadium salts by introducing a measured volume of metal solution, typically using incipient wetness or controlled liquid injection, allowing the solution to penetrate the pores and distribute the metals over the catalyst particles. The catalyst is then dried and calcined to fix the metals onto the catalyst surface. These deposited metals promote dehydrogenation reactions and coke formation, enabling evaluation of the catalyst’s resistance to metal poisoning and its effect on product selectivity.
Cyclic Metal Impregnation (CMI)
Unlike single-step metal contamination, this method simulates the progressive accumulation of metals such as nickel and vanadium during FCC unit operation. The metals are deposited by injecting controlled amounts of metal salt solutions into the catalyst bed, allowing the solution to impregnate the catalyst particles. The catalyst then undergoes drying and high-temperature thermal or steam treatment to fix the metals before repeating the cycle. This cyclic approach better reproduces the gradual deterioration of catalyst performance observed in industrial FCC units.
Cyclic Propylene Steaming – ASTM D7206
This mode accelerates catalyst aging by combining propylene cracking cycles with high-temperature steam treatment. During the cracking step, gaseous propylene is fed over the catalyst, where it reacts and leads to the formation of coke deposits. The subsequent steaming stage exposes the catalyst to severe hydrothermal conditions. Repeating these cycles intensifies zeolite degradation and structural changes, providing a rapid and realistic simulation of catalyst aging under FCC operating conditions. Air or oxygen is used during the regeneration step to burn off the coke formed on the catalyst during cracking reactions. This removes carbon deposits as CO and CO₂, restoring access to the catalyst pores. It allows repeated aging cycles while reproducing the reaction–regeneration conditions of FCC units.
Together, these operating modes allow the FCC Catalyst Deactivation Unit to reproduce the major mechanisms responsible for catalyst deactivation—hydrothermal degradation, metal contamination, and coke formation—ensuring reliable preparation of aged catalysts for subsequent performance testing.
Features
Reactor operating conditions
Temperature range: 20 – 900 °C
Typical steaming temperature: 750 – 820 °C
Temperature control accuracy: ±1–2 °C
Operating pressure: Atmospheric to ~5 bar(g) depending on configuration
Gas flow range: 10 – 1000 mL/min per gas line
Mass Flow Controllers accuracy: ±1% of full scale
Typical gases:
Nitrogen (purge)
Air or oxygen (regeneration)
Steam (hydrothermal aging)
Steam treatment (ASTM D4463)
Steam concentration: 10 – 100 % steam
Typical hydrothermal aging conditions:
100 % steam at 760–800 °C
4 – 24 hours aging
Propylene cracking (ASTM D7206 – CPS)
Propylene flow: typically 20 – 100 mL/min
Cracking temperature: 500 – 550 °C
Cycle duration: 10 – 30 min cracking + steaming step
Metal impregnation (MM / CMI)
Metal loading capability:
Nickel: 0 – 10,000 ppm
Vanadium: 0 – 10,000 ppm
Typical refinery simulation values:
Ni: 1000 – 3000 ppm
V: 1000 – 5000 ppm
Catalyst batch size
Typical catalyst charge: 5 – 50 g
Automation & control
Fully automated cycle sequencing
Programmable recipes: > 100 cycles possible
Automatic switching between: cracking, steaming, regeneration, metal impregnation and drying
Safety features
Over-temperature protection
Automatic gas shut-off
Reactor pressure monitoring
Controlled steam generation
Benefits
* Realistic simulation of FCC catalyst aging: Reproduces the main industrial deactivation mechanisms such as hydrothermal degradation, metal contamination, and coke formation.
* Multiple standardized aging methods: Supports recognized procedures including ASTM D4463 and ASTM D7206, as well as Mitchell Metal Impregnation (MM) and Cyclic Metal Impregnation (CMI).
* Fully automated operation: Automated control of temperature, gas flows, steaming, metal deposition, and cycle sequencing, ensuring high reproducibility and minimal operator intervention.
* Accelerated catalyst evaluation: Rapidly produces aged catalysts representative of industrial conditions, allowing faster catalyst screening and development.
* Reliable preparation for performance testing: Generates consistently aged catalyst samples suitable for subsequent activity and selectivity testing, typically using MAT or other FCC evaluation units.
