Performance Evaluation of a Novel Isomerization Catalyst for Commercial Applications

The proposed research will assess the performance of a newly developed Mo2O3/TiO2 isomerization catalyst and compare it to a commercial catalyst available from UOP. The molybdenum based catalyst and the commercial catalyst will be tested for their activity, selectivity and stability, i.e. deactivation behavior, for hydroisomerization. The assessment will be done on a pilot plant scale using a typical refinery feedstock that will be acquired from a KNPC refinery. One of the project’s main objectives is to evaluate the performance under typical operating conditions for commercial isomerization and to determine the competitiveness of the newly developed catalyst.