Fy2005 saudi japan symposium

3.2 The 15th Saudi-Japanese Symposium on Catalysts in Petroleum Refining & Petrochemicals The 15th Saudi-Japanese Symposium on Catalysts in Petroleum Refining & Petrochemicals took place on November 27-28, 2005, jointly sponsored by the Japan Petroleum Institute and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) of Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. There were seven registered participants from Japan, including the secretariat of the Japan Petroleum Institute. In addition to these, Minoru Horike, director of JCCP’s Technical Cooperation Department, took part. Director Horike and Group Leader Koichi Segawa of Sophia University gave opening greetings for the Japanese contingent, and subsequently lectures were given. Last year a terrorist incident occurred in al-Khobar, which is close by KFUPM, so only the Japan Petroleum Institute secretariat and JCCP Riyadh Office Director Nakayama took part this year, and only four people presented papers. As in past joint seminars, six members from the Japan contingent gave lectures this A total of 18 technical lectures were given over the course of two days: six Japanese lectured, along with nine Saudi Arabians and three persons from Europe or North America. The following seven people, including the secretariat of the Japan Petroleum Institute, represented Japan as registered participants at the joint seminar. Professor, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, Sophia University Takashi Tatsumi Professor, Chemical Resources Laboratory, Tokyo Institute of Technology Atsushi Satsuma Professor, Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Professor, School of Materials Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology Chief Researcher, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology Toshiyuki Mitsui Assistant General Manager, Technology Business Department, Toyo Chief Researcher, Japan Petroleum Institute The six papers submitted for the proceedings by the Japan contingent, along with abstracts, are as Strategies for the production of sulfur free fuels Professor, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, Sophia University Strategies for the production of sulfur free fuels The exhaust gases from motor vehicles contribute to a large extent to air pollution through their content in NOX and SOX, CO, hydrocarbons, and particulate matters (PM). In addition, sulfur in fuels is well-known poison for catalysts for clean-up exhaust gas devises. Those situations lead the governments of numerous countries to adopt new regulations which aim at a drastic reduction of sulfur content in fuels (50 ppm or less by 2005; 10 ppm or less by 2009). Professor, Chemical Resources Laboratory, Tokyo Institute of Technology Syntheses of Petrochemicals by Using Mesoporous Silica and Functionalized Silica Catalysts Mesoporous materials have high potentiality for various applications such as catalysis and adsorption, because they have larger pore size and pore volume, and higher surface area than zeolites. Functional groups attached to the mesoporous silica wall as well as silanol groups thereon act as versatile active catalytic sites. Silanol groups on mesoporous materials can catalyze the Beckmann rearrangement, and sulfonic acid groups can be incorporated using mercaptoalkyllsilanes followed by oxidation and applied to various acid-catalyzed reactions. Amino groups can also be introduced, and those introduced via an anionic surfactant templating route have proven to be highly active in base catalyzed reactions such as Knoevenagel and aldol condensations. Professor, Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University Role of Promoters on Active Sites of Vanadyl Pyrophosphate for Selective Oxidation of Propane The role of promoters on the modification of active sites on (VO)2P2O7 catalysts for selective oxidation of propane was investigated. From XRD patterns, IR spectra, and Raman spectra, the addition of promoters Sb, Ti, Zr, Hf, Cu, and Ce only slightly modified the bulk structure of (VO)2P2O7 phase. The addition of Sb, Ti and Zr increased the selectivity to acrylic acid, while Cu, Ce and Hf promoted catalysts showed lower selectivity than pure (VO)2P2O7. The surface V=O species, which was measured by Nitric oxide - Ammonia Rectangular Pulse technique, was found to be the controlling factor for the catalytic activity of propane oxidation from a proportional correlation between the number of surface V=O species and reaction rate of propane. In the case of Sb, Ti, and Zr promoted catalysts, the selectivity to acrylic acid significantly increased. These changes in selectivity were well rationalized by the changes in the number and strength of Brønsted and Lewis acid sites, which were estimated from Dimethylpyridine Temperature Programmed Desorption. From a good correlation between the selectivity to acrylic acid and the surface concentration of Lewis acid sites, it was experimentally demonstrated that Lewis acid site is the key factor for Professor, School of Materials Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology Constituent Analysis of DAO Before and After Hydrocracking over Zeolite Catalyst by Ultra-high Resolution Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry Ultra-high resolution FT-ICR MS is expected to provide molecular formula information about constituents of DAO by precise mass values of peaks in measured spectra. We have estimated molecular structure of nitrogen-containing and hydrocarbon constituents by ESI and EI, respectively, before and after hydrocracking of DAO over zeolite catalyst. It is elucidated that specific nitrogen-compounds tend to remain after hydrocracking under serious reaction conditions. Chief Researcher, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology Novel HDS Catalysts for Sulfur-Free Fuel Production Performances of HDS catalysts are crucial to the sustainable production of sulfur-free (S<10 wtppm) fuel in the existing units with minimal process modifications. We have introduced a new concept to increase the crystallinity of MoS2 in addition to increasing the dispersion of MoS2 crystallites as well as the utilization of Co (and Ni). Increased crystallinity of dispersed MoS2 with minimal stacking caused the amounts of CUS sites to decrease as expected, however, increased basic properties of CUS sites might contribute to the deeper HDS with minimal hydrogenation of the aromatic compounds. According to the newly introduced concepts, we have finally commercialized a novel HDS catalyst of LX-NC1 for sulfur-free diesel fuel production in the existing units operating with almost the same conditions as in the production of <50 wtppm sulfur We have further applied the same concept to prepare a new hydrodesulfurization (HDS) catalyst that is selective in HDS of fluid catalytic cracked (FCC) gasoline. The developed catalysts showed higher HDS activities and more depressed olefin hydrogenation performances than the commercially Assistant General Manager, Technology Business Department, Toyo Engineering Corporation DME (Di-Methyl Ether) is a non-toxic chemical currently used in aerosol propellants, etc., as a substitute for chlorofluorocarbons. However, the future DME market would be fuel considering its attractive properties as a substitute for LPG and diesel oil, etc., as a clean fuel without SOx and soot. LPG existing infrastructures such as tanks and tankers could be used with minor modifications. The total investment cost of a DME plant would be smaller compared with LNG and GTL (FT Synthesis). In China, DME plants for fuel use have already started commercial operations. In East Asia, many studies of DME applications have been made and are ongoing. For the Japanese market there are several large-scale DME projects undergoing detailed feasibility studies for introduction around 2008. In China, there are many small- and middle-scale projects planned for local fuel use. Lutianhua Group Inc. constructed a 10,000 t/y (30 t/d) commercial DME plant for fuel use under license by TOYO, and started production in August 2003, becoming the first commercial plant in the world for energy usage. After achieving the excellent DME plant performance of 110,000 t/y (340 t/d), the DME project started in December 2003 under license by TOYO. The plant was the world’s largest commercial DME plant and will begin in 4Q 2005. A Jumbo DME Plant based on the methanol dehydration process is a combination of a methanol plant and a DME synthesis plant consisting of a single-train concept, and both plants have been commercially proven in the world. The DME synthesis plant is very similar to methanol synthesis, but simpler considering the lower reaction heat and lower synthesis pressure. Therefore, scaled-up technology of a methanol plant could be easily applied to a Jumbo DME Plant. Oxygen consumption is a very important factor for selection of DME process scheme. Oxygen is not required for a Jumbo DME Plant of 3,500 t/d. An economic study shows DME production costs from a Jumbo DME Plant could be economically feasible compared with LPG and LNG.

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