Effect of Aromatic Additives on the Coke Reduction and the Asphaltene Conversion in a Slurry-phase Hydrocracking

This study investigated the effect of addition of aromatics such as Toluene/LCO/resin on the coke depression and asphaltene conversion. The experiment was carried out with vacuum residue as a feedstock with Molybdenum dispersed catalysts under the slurry-phase hydrocracking condition (Temp. of 425 degrees C, H-2 pressure of 80 bar at 80 degrees C, reaction time of 4 hr, Mo-concentration of 500 ppm). As results, the coke reduction was shown to be similar irrespective of types of aromatics, while asphaltene was more converted to gas and maltene when LCO and resin with higher dipole moment were added. The addition of aromatics with change of reaction time showed no difference in terms of depression of coke formation. But the addition of LCO rather increased the coke yield after 2 hr. And it was found that asphaltene in liquid phase had the higher aromaticity index so that asphaltene is difficult to disperse in oil phase.