PTQ Q3 2026 Issue

media with tortuous pathways and a targeted level of catalytic functionality. Since newly formed deposits can accumulate inside the media rather than on its external surface, pressure drop can be controlled even while fouling increases. Soluble iron species entering the reactor can be chemically converted to insoluble iron sulphide within the filtration system, where they can be captured and retained, preventing them from reaching and fouling the active cata- lyst below. Optimised cycle by cycle No two reactors foul the same way, and a single reactor changes from one cycle to the next as feed slates shift and upstream conditions evolve. Effective protection must operate as a continuous feedback loop rather than a one- time design. Every Crystaphase system can be custom-designed, data-driven, and calibrated to the specific reactor and cycle it will serve. At each turnaround, spent media and deposit samples from the previous cycle can be analysed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive By relocating the precipitation event from the catalyst bed to a purpose- designed filtration zone, catalytically active filtration offers a route to longer cycles, fewer unplanned shutdowns, and sustained catalyst performance X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) to characterise foulant morphol- ogy and elemental composition. This diagnostic work can determine the dominant fouling pathways, and the next configuration can be built accordingly. Layer composition and media depth can be adjusted to match how the reactor actually fouls rather than how it is assumed to foul. Each cycle can yield data that refines the next design, and each refined design can generate cleaner, more deci - sive data. Pairing diagnostic work with tailored design and technology is what turns active filtration from a product into a programme. Real-world application A US Gulf Coast hydrotreater had historically been limited to 12-month production cycles by chronic pressure drop growth from iron fouling. A reactor modification inadver - tently doubled the fouling rate, cutting the time between skims to just six months. Laboratory analysis of spent materials identified the root cause as soluble iron naphthe - nate precipitation within the catalyst bed. To help address this problem, ActiPhase technology was first introduced as a partial system during a skim. That partial loading controlled pressure drop for seven months before exhausting its capacity, at which point rising pres- sure drop forced another skim. A second, deeper ActiPhase

loading was installed, and the cycle that followed ran for nine months. At the next full changeout, a complete ActiPhase system was loaded. The cycle ran for nearly 18 months and was activity-limited rather than pressure-drop-limited. At the subsequent full changeout, the ActiPhase filtration system was reduced to strike a balance between filtration capacity and catalyst activity. The cycle that followed ran for nearly 23 months and was activity-limited, with no mid-cycle skims required. An active filtration system in the top bed, refined at each successive changeout, transformed a reactor that had pre- viously required skims every six months into one that ran nearly four times that duration. Conclusion Iron contamination in hydroprocessing feeds cannot be engineered away upstream. Corrosion products will con- tinue to form; feeds will continue to carry iron. The practical question for refiners is how best to manage iron from every source, not how to eliminate it. By relocating the precipi- tation event from the catalyst bed to a purpose-designed filtration zone, catalytically active filtration offers a route to longer cycles, fewer unplanned shutdowns, and sustained catalyst performance – outcomes that can translate directly to improved unit economics.

Crystaphase Austin Schneider Contact: austin.schneider@crystaphase.com

Process intensification often calls to mind new catalysts, novel reactor configurations, or major capital projects. Yet many operating units can unlock meaningful gains by rethinking the internals that control how fluids move through a vessel. In axial-flow reactors, the outlet system offers one of the clearest opportunities. Conventional bottom outlets, often called elephant stools or outlet baskets, can produce high pressure drop, promote maldistribution, limit usable media volume, and compro- mise containment. These limitations force plants to operate below capacity, Process intensification through novel reactor internal: WMP outlet support grid

Figure 1 WMP OSG ready for installation

100

PTQ Q3 2026