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In refining, even one misstep — a mislabeled drum, a rushed reactor heat-up, or an uneven catalyst bed density — can silently erode performance for months. High-activity hydrotreating catalysts promise greater throughput and cleaner products, but only if every operational and handling step is done right. Precision, not power, defines profitability. Here are five common mistakes that make a big difference and some pointers on how to prevent them.
Mistake: Every catalyst may look similar on paper, but not all are suited for your feed mix or unit configuration. Selecting “what worked last time” without benchmarking multiple vendors or verifying start- and end-of-run conditions risks misalignment.
Solution: Run a disciplined checklist across several vendors: recent performance vs. a known standard, experience band, hydrogen demand, yields/properties, special handling, and support. Treat catalyst selection like tailoring a suit; the best fit delivers the best performance.
Mistake: Exposing catalyst to sunlight, moisture, or mishandling can degrade catalyst activity before it ever reaches the reactor.
Solution: Store in dry, shaded areas, protect during transfer into the reactor, and check labeling and packaging integrity upon arrival. Weak inerts or broken particles increase pressure drop and limit flow distribution - and sometimes, even the wrong material has been supplied.
Mistake: Poor distributor alignment, damaged trays, or skipped leak tests can undo even the most advanced catalyst. Maldistribution isn’t just an efficiency issue; it accelerates deactivation.
Solution: Before loading, verify tray levels and gasketing, and conduct leak tests (especially after internals work) and use an internal check list. One unit improved activity by over 50% simply by upgrading and maintaining internals after identifying tray leakage issues.
Mistake: Sock loading or uneven packing creates channeling that starves sections of catalyst and can create hot spots as well as activity loss. Poor guard-bed grading will increase the speed of fouling and poisoning.
Solution: Generally, when there are no fouling issues, dense loading with trained technicians ensures even flow, proper grading, and optimal pressure drop. Always confirm bed height and density as every centimeter counts.
Mistake: What goes into the reactor determines what comes out. Poorly filtered or unstable feeds carry oxygen, sediment, and contaminants that quietly damage both the catalyst and the equipment. Add inadequate upstream corrosion control, and those small impurities become big reliability problems.
Solution: Keep feeds stable, clean, and consistent and monitor contaminants. Avoid using tank storage streams unless they’re well filtered. Adding H2 as early as possible to the feed reduces fouling potential. When corrosion creeps in, don’t just treat the local symptoms. Instead, use process twins like Petro-SIM® for the whole upstream system to quantify how feed contaminants and upstream operations affect long-term performance before they cut into your margins.
Bottom line: Protecting catalyst life is about consistency. The same precision in planning, loading, and monitoring that drives every successful refinery. When handled with care, each tonne of catalyst repays that discipline with longer cycles, steadier yields, and stronger margins.
These five mistakes are just the beginning. The full article - Maximize Utilization of High-activity Hydrotreating Catalysts - dives deeper into how refiners can optimize process conditions, manage hydrogen purity, and apply digital twins to maximize catalyst utilization and reliability across hydrotreating units.