General Regeneration Procedure
Palladium/Platinum Catalysts
Palladium/Platinum Catalyst Regeneration
General: In many applications, palladium or The following instructions have been pre-
promoted palladium catalysts are deactivated pared by the Technical Service Department of
during normal operation by polymer or carbon Sud Chemie Inc. to serve as a reference for
deposited on the surface. These deposits users of SCI Catalysts. They are prepared in
can be removed by regeneration with steam general terms to be compatible with the indi-
and air and the catalyst activity restored to vidual procedure preferred by user. SCI will
nearly that of fresh catalyst. Steam-air re- gladly review and comment on procedures
generation will not recover full activity of pal- proposed for a particular plant.. Please con-
ladium catalyst which has been contaminated tact the Technical Service Department at
with heavy metals such as As, Pb, Hg, Sb, SCI’s main office in Louisville, Kentucky,
etc. or by caustic carryover. Sulfur poisoning should you have questions about this proce-
can be removed by regeneration although dure or wish SCI to review the specific proce-
there may be some residual sulfur on the dure which is to be used with catalysts from
catalyst surface and activity may be slightly Sud Chemie Inc.
less than a sulfur-free catalyst.
Steam-Air Regeneration Procedure
levels, decrease the air flow enough to main-
1) Depressurize the reactor slowly to at-
tain control. (Please check the temperature
mospheric pressure.
limit of the metallurgy of the vessel for the
2) Establish a flow of steam through the bed pressure used during regeneration and con-
at a rate of 10-25 lbs/hr per cubic foot of cata- trol to that temperature if it is lower than
lyst (150-380 kg/h per m3 of catalyst) which is 950ºF.)
a space velocity between 200 and 500 h-1
7) Gradually increase the air content in the
(Vol/Vol/hr) with a vent pressure sufficient to
steam to 5% molar while monitoring the bed
control the flow (10-15 psi or 0.8-3.5 kg/cm2).
temperatures. Control the maximum tem-
3) Increase the inlet temperature to 750ºF perature in the bed to less than 950ºF (510
(400ºC) at a rate of not more than 120ºF/hr ºC) or the vessel limit as noted in step 6.
(65ºC/h).
8) When the air content in the steam is 5%
4) When the inlet temperature is approxi- molar and there is no observable reaction
mately 750ºF (400ºC), maintain the steam (bed temperatures are falling back toward the
flow until a sample of the effluent condensate inlet temperature), the air flow should be
is reasonably free of oily materials and vola- gradually increased to 10% molar while con-
tile hydrocarbons. In any case, steam for at trolling the maximum temperature as noted in
least 2 hours with full inlet temperature. step 6.
5) Introduce about 1% mol of air with the 9) When there is no observable reaction and
steam and observe the bed temperatures. the exit CO2 is less than 0.5% of the non-
Note that air injection should be ahead of the condensable exit gas, this stage is complete.
regeneration heater.
10) Increase the air flow to a minimum space
6) The maximum catalyst temperature velocity of 100 V/V/h and begin gradually re-
should not exceed 950ºF (510ºC). If the ducing the steam flow. The inlet temperature
maximum temperature is approaching these should be maintained at 700-750ºF (370-
General Regeneration Procedure
Palladium/Platinum Catalysts
400ºC). If significant temperature rise occurs, 13) Stop the flow of air and cool the catalyst
maintain enough steam to control the maxi- bed. The catalyst may be cooled with dry air
mum temperature as in the previous steps. or nitrogen or low-pressure steam. If low-
pressure steam is used, the bed may be
11) Reduce the steam flow gradually to zero
or as low as possible while maintaining the cooled to a temperature 100ºF (55ºC) above
the dew point before switching to nitrogen.
inlet temperature at 700-750ºF (370-400ºC)
and controlling the maximum bed tempera- 14) After the reactor cools to near ambient
ture. Most plants will need to maintain some temperature, it can be purged of air (if used)
steam to maintain the inlet temperature. and blocked in under nitrogen atmosphere. If
the reactor is blocked in at a temperature
12) Maintain these conditions of air burn with
minimum steam flow until all exotherm has above ambient, closely monitor the pressure
until the reactor reaches ambient temperature
passed through the catalyst bed. The regen-
eration is now complete. to avoid sub-atmospheric pressures inside the
vessel.
Liability Notice: Although this procedure Sud Chemie Inc., in issuing these instructions
was prepared by experienced technicians and cannot assume liability for upsets or damage
is based on the best available information de- to either the user’s plant or personnel. The
rived from laboratory, pilot plant and commer- client is urged to review these instructions
cial experience with this catalyst, these carefully and to satisfy himself that their appli-
technicians do not have intimate knowledge cation will not be hazardous to his specific
of the client’s plant or operation. Therefore, operation.
