Macro Trap™ Guard Bed Media
Background
Macro Trap™Guard Bed Media is a
specially designed ceramic material with large pores that can trap particulate
matter in a feed stream. It can be effective wherever there are streams
containing suitable sized particles that require removal.
Features and
Benefits
|
1. |
Macro Trap™ Guard
Bed Media can reduce problems due to maldistribution of the feed due to
uneven particulate deposition on the top of the catalyst bed. |
|
2. |
Macro Trap™ Guard
Bed Media can reduce pressure drop problems caused by catalyst bed fouling
due to particulates in the feed and the formation of iron sulfide gums. |
|
3. |
Macro Trap™ Guard
Bed Media extends the life of the catalyst bed and eliminates the need for
frequent shutdowns to skim and replace fouled catalyst. |
Physical Data
|
Type |
Macro Trap™
Media 1.5 |
Macro Trap™
Media 10 |
|
Sizes (mm) |
5, 6, 8, 10, 13 |
6, 8, 10 |
|
Surface area (m²/gm) |
1.5 |
10 |
|
Median macropore diameter (micron) |
120 |
120 |
|
Packing density (kg/m³) |
640 |
640 |
|
Crush strength (kg) |
4 -14 |
4 -14 |
|
Shapes available |
Spheres, Rings |
Spheres, Rings |
Material
94%
alpha-alumina*; 6% silica*
·
Alpha-alumina
is the inert alumina phase and glassy silica is chemically inactive
Proven Technology for a
Hydrotreating:
A series of tests were carried out in conjunction with Phillips
Petroleum to measure the removal of particulate and soluble iron from Borger
ARDS feed. The tests, each of which was conducted over a one-week period,
showed that MacroTrap™
media removed nearly twice as much particulate and three times as much soluble
iron as did the non-porous ceramic support balls.
Hydrodemetallisation:
A major process licensor ran a pilot plant test using a layer of
MacroTrap™ guard
bed media over a hydrometallisation catalyst bed. The Boscan crude feed
contained about 8 ppm iron, 0.13% vanadium and 5.5% sulphur. After the
month-long test run, Macro Trap™
media picked up five times as much iron as the demetallisation catalyst – and
significant quantities of vanadium and nickel as well.
Demonstated in the Field
Commercial installations prove Macro Trap™ media’s effectiveness in a
variety of
hydroprocessing applications such as Hydrotreating, Resid
Hydrocracking,
Hydrodesulphurisation. As many refiners have learned, MacroTrap™ media extends run
time by reducing or eliminating catalyst bed fouling.
Frequently
Asked Questions
How does
Macro Trap™ work?
The material
acts as a kind of “sponge” and traps particulates throughout the body of the
media. The feed flows around and through the Macro Trap™ media’s interconnecting
pores and particulates fall out of the stream inside the pores, where they
remain trapped without causing increase in the pressure drop of the layer. The
pores range in diameter from 0.1 to 500 microns providing the capability to
trap various sizes of particulates. The advantage of this mechanism is greater
uptake capacity and tighter binding of the trapped particulates.
Where do the
particles come from?
Common sources
of particulate contamination are:
·
Corrosion
products from towers, tanks, pipes, heat exchangers etc.
·
Salts from
process upsets, poorly operating desalting units or special additives.
·
Coke fines
from preceding coking units.
·
Fines from
preceding fluid catalytic cracking units.
What kinds
of particulates can Macro Trap™ media remove?
The most common
application to date is the removal of iron or iron oxide (rust) particulates
present in many refinery streams (often called “tramp iron”). There is limited
evidence that sodium and silica particulates may be removed.
How large a
particulate may be removed?
This depends on
a number of factors, but it is unlikely that particles over 25 microns in
diameter will be removed effectively. Macro Trap™ media is designed to remove particles with diameters
in the 5 – 25 micron region.
How many
Macro Trap™ installations are
there?
There are over
60 installations to date – this number is continually rising.
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