Catalyst Evaluation and Screening

Catalyst evaluation, screening, testing and research.

Intertek catalyst, pilot plant and analytical laboratories provide extensive service capabilities for catalyst characterisation and evaluation. Intertek's personnel are experienced in catalysts and experts in studying the parameters which affect petroleum and chemical refining catalyst performance. Intertek pilot plant and laboratory services work with small to large scale, batch and continuous process projects.

Catalyst Evaluation, Testing and Screening Services:

• Catalyst Preparation
• Catalyst Activation
• Catalyst Passivation
• Catalyst Promotion
• Catalyst Fouling Mechanisms
• Catalyst Regeneration
• Catalyst Poisoning Testing
• Catalyst Characterisation
• Catalyst Conditioning
• Bulk Composition of Catalysts
• Catalyst Testing and Technical Services

Catalysts in petroleum refineries and chemical plants suffer degradation and other detrimental changes from operating conditions, becoming fouled by reaction by-products or catalyst poisons in feedstocks. Catalyst poisoning causes catalyst activity reduction or catalyst selectivity changes, resulting in process reduction of product production and quality.

Preserving catalyst activity or optimal selectivity is vital to catalysts users. Not doing so means higher energy consumption (from ramped-up reaction temperatures to maintain rates), plant shut-downs, catalyst regeneration or replacement, all of which can add to higher operating costs and lost production time.

Catalyst deterioration in selectivity causes lost revenues because less of the desired product is made, or possibly the need for expensive reprocessing of the undesired products. Proper design of catalysts, careful manufacture and activation, and controlled exposure under reaction conditions are vital to prolong useful catalyst life. Catalyst characterisation provides the means to probe the factors through which catalyst performance is determined. Characterisation of all these factors permits the researcher, manufacturer and user to optimise vital parameters to the activity, selectivity and longevity of catalysts. Intertek offers world class expertise in catalyst testing, research and analysis.