Benefits of high-performance Pt-based isomerisation catalyst Deployment of novel catalyst reflects continuing evolution of refinery catalysis toward more efficient, resilient, and sustainable gasoline production pathways Vimal K Upadhyay, Pushkar Varshney, Satyen K Das, Atul Ranjan, RK Kaushik Singha, and Alok Sharma Indian Oil Corporation Ltd Chaitanya Sampara Viridis Chemicals Pvt Ltd
G lobal oil demand in the coming years is expected to change gradually rather than grow rapidly. Although overall consumption is likely to increase during the rest of this decade, the rate of growth is projected to slow, with demand remaining close to present levels by around 2035, assuming the current trajectory, as shown in Figure 1 . This trend is mainly driven by rising energy needs in India and other emerging Asian economies, which continue to offset the decline in oil consumption observed in developed regions. At the same time, growing concerns about climate change and environmental protection have led to increasingly stringent fuel quality regulations. These developments are pushing refineries worldwide to adopt cleaner and more efficient technologies for gasoline production. As fuel quality standards become tighter, particularly regarding benzene, aromatics, and olefin content, refineries face the challenge
of improving gasoline quality while meeting environmental requirements. In this context, light naphtha isomerisation is considered one of the most important refinery processes for improving gasoline quality. This process converts low-octane straight-chain paraffins present in light naphtha into branched isomers with higher octane numbers, along with saturation of benzene present in the light naphtha. This dual benefit emphasises this process in modern gasoline production. In today’s refinery configurations, isomerisation complements the catalytic reforming process. While reforming increases octane primarily through aromatics formation, isomerisation provides octane enhancement without increasing aromatic content. The product of this process, isomerate, contains very low levels of sulphur, aromatics, and olefins, making it an excellent blending component for meeting current and future gasoline specifications. The performance of the isomerisation process largely depends on the catalyst used. Traditionally, isomerisation (ISOM) units have employed two main types of platinum (Pt)-based catalysts. Platinum supported on chlorinated alumina is highly active and allows operation at lower temperatures; however, it is very sensitive to trace contaminants and requires continuous chloride addition. On the other hand, platinum supported on zeolite materials is more tolerant of feed impurities, but it operates at higher temperatures, resulting in lower activity. To overcome the limitations of conventional
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Figure 1 Global oil demand trajectory with current policies and below 2°C stringent policy Courtesy: BP Energy Outlook 2025
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