PTQ Q3 2025 Issue

52.5

50.0

47.5

45.0

42.5

14.0: PT1+HC2 4.0: PT1+HC1 5.0: PT1+HC1 2.0: PT1+HC1 12.0: PT1+HC2 10.0: PT1+HC2 6.0: PT1+HC1 13.0: PT1+HC2

40.0

37.5

X(UCO) (%) 60

375

380

385

390

395

400

T_Rx (˚C)

Figure 5 A: yield vs conversion plot, B: activity plot (conversion vs reaction temperature)

conversions above 60%. In fact, the error bars (three stand- ard deviations) correspond to a maximum of ±2% error on the yield (MD). This 2% error combines the error due to the mass balance, which is very comparable across all reactors, and the error resulting from the heaters (±1.0°C), along with minor errors that can be attributed to analytical reproduci- bility (online GC and SIMDIST) and slight differences in c(N) experienced by each independent hydrocracking reactor. In Figure 5b three dotted red lines are shown at 65%, 75, and 85% for all three conversion levels. PT1+HC1 is less active than PT1+HC2, and the difference in activity is not only statistically significant (the shadowed confi - dence intervals do not overlap) but exceeds 3°C. Against this backdrop, hte always advises against overinterpreting differences in reaction temperatures that are less than 3°C unless a test with several repeats is performed. Finally, even for the PT1+HC2 system, where one repeat seems to behave differently from the others, it is possible to see that above 60% conversion the confidence interval is at max - imum as wide as 3°C. The confidence intervals are wider at lower conversions and temperatures, likely because the systems were not yet fully lined out under those conditions previously shown in Figure 4 due to the design of this par- ticular testing campaign. Conclusions In this study, hte screened three pretreatment catalysts and two cracking catalysts. Performance was benchmarked, and the differences were found to be statistically signif- icant. The ±2% variability on the mass balance accounts for errors resulting from the capillary distribution systems, online GC analytics, and liquid sampling. Reactor heater temperature variability (±1.0°C) and less significant catalyst batch homogeneity are different types of errors that can

affect result reproducibility (accuracy). Together, these fac- tors constitute the basis for hte’s recommendation to con- sider an experimental error of ±1.5°C (2.7°F) in the reactor temperature to reach a target product property when using pilot plant data to benchmark hydrotreating and hydroc- racking catalysts. Giada Innocenti is Application and Project Manager at hte GmbH. She manages high throughput experimentation projects in the field of hydroprocessing with a focus on processing/co-processing of renew- able feedstocks. She holds a PhD in chemistry from the University of Bologna, Italy. Email: Giada.Innocenti@hte-company.de Jochen Berg is Application and Project Manager in the field of hydro - cracking and hydrotreating at hte Gmbh. He manages R&D projects focused on trickle-bed applications using a broad range of feedstocks. He holds a PhD in chemistry from Technical University of Darmstadt. Email: Jochen.Berg@hte-company.de Kai Dannenbauer is Application and Project Manager in the field of hydrocracking and hydrotreating at hte GmbH. He manages R&D projects focused on trickle-bed applications using a broad range of feedstocks. He holds an MS degree in chemical engineering from FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg. Email: Kai.Dannenbauer@hte-company.de Felix Hilpert is an Application and Project Manager at hte GmbH. He has more than six years of experience in high throughput catalyst test- ing in FCC and hydrotreating applications. Ioan-Teodor Trotus is Segment Lead for Refining at hte GmbH. He leads the team in charge of hydroprocessing and FCC studies and is first point of contact for technical proposals to set up contract research activities in these fields. He holds a PhD in chemistry from the Max- Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung. Email: Ioan-Teodor.Trotus@hte-company.de Jean-Claude Adelbrecht is Executive Business Development Manager at hte GmbH, responsible for R&D collaborations and technology sales. He holds a PhD in chemistry from Imperial College London. He has published several technical papers in international journals.

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PTQ Q3 2025