The Effect of Tin and Antimony Addition on the Performance of Dual Function Cracking Catalyst (DFCC) Mixtures

In 1976, the Phillips Petroleum Company successfully demonstrated that the addition of certain organo-antimony compounds to a metal-contaminated heavy gas oil reduced the deleterious effects that metals such as Ni and V have on gasoline yields, coke, and hydrogen selectivities. Nickel has little effect on the activity of a fluidized cracking catalyst (FCC) but generates large amounts of gases, placing severe demands on capabilities of gas compressors. Marketed by Phillips Petroleum Company. Phil-Ad CA antimony organics have been shown to reduce by 50% gas formation due to metal contaminants, especially nickel. However, Sb, when introduced into a fluidized cracking unit, could reduce and form SbH[sub 3], stibine, that like arsine (AsH[sub 3]) is a highly toxic compound. Procedures for the safe usage of Sb in refining operations have been outlined; when used properly, Sb-containing passivating agents did not generate any detectable stibine. Recently, it has been reported that at microactivity test conditions, the additions of diluents (such as aluminas and layered magnesium silicates) capable of selectively sorbing metal contaminants from gas oils can form dual function cracking catalysts (DFCC) that retain most of their useful cracking activity even in the presence of as much as 1.0-1.5% V. It is the purpose of this paper to report the stability of Sb- and Sn-loaded alumina particles and the effects that the addition of metal passivation compounds such as Sb and Sn have on the performance of DFCC mixtures.