Albemarle unveils new catalyst for hydrocracking pre-treat market

In order to further strengthen its position in the hydrocracking pre-treat (HC-PT) market, Albemarle Corporation has unveiled a new leading-edge catalyst as part of its portfolio of high-activity STARS catalysts. Along with its hydroprocessing alliance partner UOP, Albemarle is in the final stages of pilot plant testing, and global rollout is expected in the second half of 2015.
 
"Because of the competition in hydrocracking reloads, this is an area where have to be continually innovative in terms of new product velocity and focusing our R&D efforts on the price and performance characteristics demanded by our refining customers. We expect this new STARS® catalyst to address a niche in medium- to high-pressure HC-PT operations, an area where Albemarle has been a longstanding leader in hydroprocessing catalyst product performance, technical innovation, product quality and technical service,” said Carl van der Grift, vice president of Clean Fuels Technology.
 
Edwin Berends, vice president of Albemarle's Refining Solutions Research and Technology group, said, “Extensive pilot plant testing has shown that this catalyst is setting new benchmarks in reducing nitrogen content in the HC-PT feed to boost overall hydrocracking conversion and performance.  Using Albemarle's proprietary STAX technology, we look forward to working side by side with our customers to develop custom solutions for any refining objective."