Effect of operating variables on catalytic hydrotreating of heavy gas oil: experimental and kinetic studies

Experimental study to evaluate the effect of hydrotreating CoMo/γ-Al2O3 catalyst for upgrading heavy gas oil (HGO). Hydrodesulfurization (HDS) and hydrodearomatization (HDA) activities were conducted in a continuous flow micro trickle-bed reactor at the temperatures, pressures, liquid hourly space velocity (LHSV) and hydrogen-to-feed ratio of; 3500-4500C, 40-75 bar, 0.5-1.0 h-1, and 400 LL-1 respectively. This work identifies and measures the key parameters in hydrodesulfurization, and at conversion levels above 95 and 90 %, respectively. The experimental results fitted with the Power Law model yielded reaction orders of the first order reaction for HDS and HAD, and activation energies of 31.4 and 36.9 kj/Mol respectively.