Abstract: Combined hydroprocessing and solvent deasphalting with sequential addition of a dispersed catalyst to process heavy oil without increasing equipment fouling. An example method includes: hydroprocessing heavy oil containing dispersed catalyst particles to yield upgraded heavy oil; subjecting a resid portion of the upgraded heavy oil to solvent deasphalting to produce DAO and pitch; and hydroprocessing the deasphalted oil containing dispersed catalyst particles to yield upgraded deasphalted oil.

Abstract: System and method for mixing a catalyst precursor into heavy oil using a high boiling hydrocarbon diluent to form a diluted precursor mixture, which is mixed with the heavy oil feedstock to form a conditioned feedstock, which is subsequently heated to decompose the precursor and form dispersed metal sulfide catalyst particles in situ. Because the high boiling hydrocarbon diluent is typically at a temperature above the decomposition temperature of the catalyst precursor, it is first feed through a cooler to reduce its temperature to avoid premature decomposition of the catalyst precursor. The high boiling hydrocarbon diluent may include a portion of the heavy oil feedstock, a portion of the conditioned feedstock, a vacuum tower bottoms product, or other high boiling hydrocarbon material having a boiling point higher than 524° C. A portion of the diluent may optionally include a medium boiling hydrocarbon material having a boiling point less than 524° C.

Abstract: System and method for mixing a catalyst precursor into heavy oil include parallel mixing lines configured to receive and mix a diluted precursor mixture (catalyst precursor premixed with a hydrocarbon diluent) with heavy oil to form a conditioned feedstock. One of the mixing lines can be periodically taken offline (e.g., for maintenance) while one or more remaining mixing lines continue to form conditioned feedstock. A bypass line maintains substantially continuous flow volume of heavy oil when one of the mixing lines is taken offline. Valves and flow meters can be used to regulate flow through the mixing lines and bypass line. The system permits virtually unlimited scaleup of the mixing process while permitting periodic maintenance of the system without taking it completely offline. Mixing a catalyst precursor into heavy oil forms colloidal-sized catalyst particles in situ having high catalytic activity that promote beneficial upgrading reactions when hydroprocessing heavy oil.

Abstract: An ebullated bed hydroprocessing system is upgraded and operated at modified conditions using a dual catalyst system to produce less fouling sediment. The less fouling sediment produced by the upgraded ebullated bed reactor reduces the rate of equipment fouling at any given sediment production rate and/or concentration compared to the sediment produced by the ebullated bed reactor prior to upgrading. In some cases, sediment production rate and/or concentration are maintained or increased, after upgrading the ebullated bed reactor, while equipment fouling is reduced. In other cases, sediment production rate and/or concentration are increased, after upgrading the ebullated bed reactor, without increasing equipment fouling. In some cases, sediment production rate and/or concentration are decreased by a given percentage, after upgrading the ebullated bed reactor, and the rate of equipment fouling is decreased by a substantially greater percentage.

Abstract: Combined hydroprocessing and solvent deasphalting with sequential addition of a dispersed catalyst to process heavy oil without increasing equipment fouling. An example method includes: hydroprocessing heavy oil containing dispersed catalyst particles to yield upgraded heavy oil; subjecting a resid portion of the upgraded heavy oil to solvent deasphalting to produce DAO and pitch; and hydroprocessing the deasphalted oil containing dispersed catalyst particles to yield upgraded deasphalted oil.

Abstract: An ebullated bed hydroprocessing system is upgraded using a dual catalyst system that includes a heterogeneous catalyst and dispersed metal sulfide particles to improve the quality of vacuum residue. The improved quality of vacuum residue can be provided by one or more of reduced viscosity, reduced density (increased API gravity), reduced asphaltene content, reduced carbon residue content, reduced sulfur content, and reduced sediment. Vacuum residue of improved quality can be produced while operating the upgraded ebullated bed reactor at the same or higher severity, temperature, throughput and/or conversion. Similarly, vacuum residue of same or higher quality can be produced while operating the upgraded ebullated bed reactor at higher severity, temperature, throughput and/or conversion.

Abstract: An ebullated bed hydroprocessing system is upgraded using a dual catalyst system that includes a heterogeneous catalyst and dispersed metal sulfide particles to increase rate of production of converted products. The rate of production is achieved by increasing reactor severity, including increasing the operating temperature and at least one of throughput or conversion. The dual catalyst system permits increased reactor severity and provides increased production of converted products without a significant increase in equipment fouling and/or sediment production. In some cases, the rate of production of conversion products can be achieved while decreasing equipment fouling and/or sediment production.

Abstract: An ebullated bed hydroprocessing system is upgraded using a dual catalyst system that includes a heterogeneous catalyst and dispersed metal sulfide particles to hydroprocess opportunity feedstocks (i.e., lower quality heavy oils or lower quality feedstock blends) while maintaining or increasing the rate of production of converted products. The dual catalyst system improves the ability of the upgraded ebullated bed hydroprocessing system to accommodate and withstand negative effects of periodic use of opportunity feedstocks (e.g., without significantly increasing equipment fouling and/or sediment production). In some cases, an upgraded ebullated bed reactor using the dual catalyst system can hydroprocess opportunity feedstocks while decreasing equipment fouling and/or sediment production.

Abstract: An ebullated bed hydroprocessing system is upgraded and operated at modified conditions using a dual catalyst system to produce less fouling sediment. The less fouling sediment produced by the upgraded ebullated bed reactor reduces the rate of equipment fouling at any given sediment production rate and/or concentration compared to the sediment produced by the ebullated bed reactor prior to upgrading. In some cases, sediment production rate and/or concentration are maintained or increased, after upgrading the ebullated bed reactor, while equipment fouling is reduced. In other cases, sediment production rate and/or concentration are increased, after upgrading the ebullated bed reactor, without increasing equipment fouling. In some cases, sediment production rate and/or concentration are decreased by a given percentage, after upgrading the ebullated bed reactor, and the rate of equipment fouling is decreased by a substantially greater percentage.

Abstract: An ebullated bed hydroprocessing system is upgraded using a dual catalyst system that includes a heterogeneous catalyst and dispersed metal sulfide particles to produce less fouling sediment. The dual catalyst system more effectively converts sediment-forming precursors to produce sediment that is less fouling than sediment produced using only the heterogeneous catalyst and not the dispersed metal sulfide particles. The dual catalyst system provides for a lower rate of equipment fouling for a given sediment production rate and/or concentration. In some cases, sediment production rate and/or concentration can be maintained or increased while equipment fouling is reduced. In some cases, sediment production rate and/or concentration can be increased without increasing equipment fouling.

Abstract: An ebullated bed hydroprocessing system is upgraded using a dual catalyst system that includes a heterogeneous catalyst and dispersed metal sulfide particles, which permits recycling of vacuum bottoms without recycle buildup of asphaltenes. The dual catalyst system more effectively converts asphaltenes in the ebullated bed reactor and increases asphaltene conversion by an amount that at least offsets higher asphaltene concentration resulting from recycling of vacuum bottoms. In this way, there is no recycle buildup of asphaltenes in upgraded ebullated bed reactor notwithstanding recycling of vacuum bottoms. In addition, residual dispersed metal sulfide catalyst particles in the vacuum bottoms can maintain or increase the concentration of the dispersed metal sulfide catalyst in the ebullated bed reactor.

Abstract: An ebullated bed hydroprocessing system is upgraded using a dual catalyst system that includes a heterogeneous catalyst and dispersed metal sulfide particles, which permits recycling of vacuum bottoms without recycle buildup of asphaltenes. The dual catalyst system more effectively converts asphaltenes in the ebullated bed reactor and increases asphaltene conversion by an amount that at least offsets higher asphaltene concentration resulting from recycling of vacuum bottoms. In this way, there is no recycle buildup of asphaltenes in upgraded ebullated bed reactor notwithstanding recycling of vacuum bottoms. In addition, residual dispersed metal sulfide catalyst particles in the vacuum bottoms can maintain or increase the concentration of the dispersed metal sulfide catalyst in the ebullated bed reactor.

Abstract: An ebullated bed hydroprocessing system is upgraded using a dual catalyst system that includes a heterogeneous catalyst and dispersed metal sulfide particles to produce less fouling sediment. The dual catalyst system more effectively converts sediment-forming precursors to produce sediment that is less fouling than sediment produced using only the heterogeneous catalyst and not the dispersed metal sulfide particles. The dual catalyst system provides for a lower rate of equipment fouling for a given sediment production rate and/or concentration. In some cases, sediment production rate and/or concentration can be maintained or increased while equipment fouling is reduced. In some cases, sediment production rate and/or concentration can be increased without increasing equipment fouling.

Abstract: An ebullated bed hydroprocessing system is upgraded using a dual catalyst system that includes a heterogeneous catalyst and dispersed metal sulfide particles to improve the quality of vacuum residue. The improved quality of vacuum residue can be provided by one or more of reduced viscosity, reduced density (increased API gravity), reduced asphaltene content, reduced carbon residue content, reduced sulfur content, and reduced sediment. Vacuum residue of improved quality can be produced while operating the upgraded ebullated bed reactor at the same or higher severity, temperature, throughput and/or conversion. Similarly, vacuum residue of same or higher quality can be produced while operating the upgraded ebullated bed reactor at higher severity, temperature, throughput and/or conversion.

Abstract: An ebullated bed hydroprocessing system is upgraded using a dual catalyst system that includes a heterogeneous catalyst and dispersed metal sulfide particles to increase rate of production of converted products. The rate of production is achieved by increasing reactor severity, including increasing the operating temperature and at least one of throughput or conversion. The dual catalyst system permits increased reactor severity and provides increased production of converted products without a significant increase in equipment fouling and/or sediment production. In some cases, the rate of production of conversion products can be achieved while decreasing equipment fouling and/or sediment production.

Abstract: An ebullated bed hydroprocessing system is upgraded using a dual catalyst system that includes a heterogeneous catalyst and dispersed metal sulfide particles to hydroprocess opportunity feedstocks (i.e., lower quality heavy oils or lower quality feedstock blends) while maintaining or increasing the rate of production of converted products. The dual catalyst system improves the ability of the upgraded ebullated bed hydroprocessing system to accommodate and withstand negative effects of periodic use of opportunity feedstocks (e.g., without significantly increasing equipment fouling and/or sediment production). In some cases, an upgraded ebullated bed reactor using the dual catalyst system can hydroprocess opportunity feedstocks while decreasing equipment fouling and/or sediment production.

Abstract: Methods for bonding adherent phosphorous-containing coating layers to oxide surfaces on substrates wherein the substrates with oxide surfaces are selected from: (a) oxidized iron, titanium, silicon, tin and vanadium; (b) indium tin oxide; and (c) substrates with oxide layers deposited thereon, wherein the substrates on which oxide layers are deposited are selected from ceramics, semiconductors, metals, plastics and glass, and the method contacts the oxide surface with a carrier conveying an organo-phosphonic acid coating composition and heats the oxide surface and carrier at a sufficient temperature while maintaining contact for a sufficient time to bond a layer of the organophosphonic acid to the oxide surface. Coated articles prepared by the inventive method are also disclosed.

Abstract: Colloidal suspensions of metallic particles are manufactured by providing a precursor mixture containing metallic particles having a first size, at least one solvent, and at least one stabilizing agent. The precursor mixture is sonicated to breakdown the metallic particles and suspend the particles in the solvent to form a colloid. The colloidal suspensions of metallic particles obtained with the present invention are highly concentrated and stable.

Abstract: Methods for bonding adherent phosphorous-containing coating layers to oxide surfaces on substrates wherein the substrates with oxide surfaces are selected from: (a) oxidized iron, titanium, silicon, tin and vanadium; (b) indium tin oxide; and (c) substrates with oxide layers deposited thereon, wherein the substrates on which oxide layers are deposited are selected from ceramics, semiconductors, metals, plastics and glass, and the method contacts the oxide surface with a carrier conveying an organo-phosphonic acid coating composition and heats the oxide surface and carrier at a sufficient temperature while maintaining contact for a sufficient time to bond a layer of the organophosphonic acid to the oxide surface. Coated articles prepared by the inventive method are also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for providing on the surface of a substrate an adherent phorphorous acid-based coating layer, the method comprising contacting said surface with a carrier conveying a coating composition comprising an acid selected from the group consisting of phosphoroic acids, organo-phosphoric acids, phosphonic acids, and mixtures thereof, at a sufficient temperature and for a sufficient time to bond at least a portion of the acid in the compositon to the oxide surface.