INVESTIGATION OF THE TRANSFORMATION OF MODEL PETROLEUM RAW MATERIALS UNDER CRACKING CONDITIONS OVER A REGENERATED SPENT HYDROTREATMENT CATALYST

The physicochemical properties and catalytic activity of regenerated spent aluminium-cobalt-molybdenum hydrotreatment catalyst have been investigated under cracking conditions in the model systems n-dodecane - toluene and decalin - toluene - n-hexane. A series of experiments to study the catalytic activity of the sample was carried out using a flow-type laboratory installation within the temperature range 430-470 °C, nitrogen pressure 1.6 MPa, liquid hourly space velocity 0.5-3.0 h-1. The directions of transformation were determined for paraffin and naphthenic hydrocarbons by means of gas chromatography - mass spectrometry. Paraffin hydrocarbons enter into cracking, isomerisation and compaction reactions. Naphthenic hydrocarbons are transformed into the products of isomerisation, dehydrogenation and compaction. Predominant dehydrogenation of decalin with the formation of naphthalene and hydrogen is observed in the system under investigation. A positive role of hydrogen in thermodestructive processing of heavy oil residues is observed due to the hydrogenation of nonlinear olefin hydrocarbons and aromatic hydrocarbon intermediates, which decreases the rate of coke formation. The corresponding reaction rate constants were calculated, and the results were analysed. Conclusions are drawn about the prospects of introducing a regenerated spent hydrotreatment catalyst into the procedure of thermodestructive processing of heavy oil residues.