Development and application of ex-situ presulfurization technology for hydrotreating catalysts in China

The development and application of ex-situ presulfurization (EPRES) technology for hydrotreating catalysts has been reviewed in the present article. The studies in laboratory scale and commercial practice indicated that the adoption of the EPRES catalyst in industrial application can significantly enhance the degree of presulfurization of metal oxide components, shorten the start-up period, and effectively reduce the environmental impact as well as the danger of start-up procedure in industrial hydrotreating unit. This catalyst has been proved to be versatile for different types of hydrogenation reactions. Different types of active site models are also discussed for better understanding the nature of presulfurized catalysts. © 2011 Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.