With increasing demand for higher product yields and operational efficiency in refineries, the clarification of slurry oil (also known as clarified oil or cycle oil) is under renewed scrutiny. Two primary technologies emerge from extensive research as a solution for solids removal from slurry oil. To address the industry’s need for increased profits in petrochemical production, operators cannot overlook the waste streams affected by this process. The refining and petrochemical industries are facing a variety of challenges in propylene production with heavier crude slates. More importantly, chasing propylene production with today’s technology has left market demand supply gaps open for the innovation of old processes to be revisited. Historically, fluidised catalytic cracking (FCC) and the increasingly preferred residual fluidised catalytic cracking (RFCC) have been the main processes to upgrade low-value feedstocks to higher-value products. In today’s advanced refining industry, modern FCC/RFCC technologies are designed to drive higher propylene yields to increase profits and improve a refinery’s bottom line. While increasing higher value yields throughout a refinery is beneficial to the refiner, managing fines control in concentrated residual slurry becomes a greater challenge. Mechanical filtration (e.g. pressure leaf or cartridge filters) and electrostatic separator systems, developed by General Atomics, are two technologies in this arena. The remainder of this article examines cost-effectiveness, operational performance, and optimal use cases for each of these technologies.1
Slurry oil, a byproduct of the FCC process, serves as a valuable feedstock in carbon black production, fuel blending, marine fuel, and needle coking applications. Clarification to remove catalyst fines is essential for maximising product value and protecting downstream equipment. It is important to understand the key differences in the two technologies to emphasise profitability, preferred applications, and marketing impact of utilising the wrong technology for certain applications when selecting clarification systems. In order to understand these differences, it is important to understand the refining demand from the ‘bottom of the barrel’ and the markets supported.2
References
- G-Tek Solutions – Service and Filtration experts.
- General Atomics Gulftronic Product Data.