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In a catalytic reforming unit the fines collection system may contain up to 30% catalyst pills, I would like to know what methods for fines/pills separation exists, along the lines of Density Grading to aid of optimum pills recovery. Also, is there is a better method?
What equipment is required and what are the physics involved?
 
Answers
03/03/2009 A: Rupesh Patel, Saudi Aramco Total Refining and Petrochemical Company, rupeshgpatel@gmail.com
You can use portable sieving machine with vibrator. There are many varieties of portable sieving machine available with vibrator. This sieving machine can be used with different sieve size and I have experience of using the same.
11/02/2009 A: Keegan Denny, Petrotrin, keegan77@hotmail.com
Could not a vessel with a blower, butterfly valve, outlet piping with a bag filter be used?
This is the idea: the fines are very light in comparison to the catalyst pills. Would not a controlled air flow from the bottom or lower side of the vessel cause the fines to be lifted up and out of the vessel, to be caught in the bag filter? It is not a perfect system, but it would be cheap and, with fine tuning, it could be quite effective.
As we know this is nearly the same system used to separate fines from the catalyst in a catalytic reforming system, the only difference is one would have an excessive air flow to ensure removal of most if not all of the fines. In doing so, viable catalyst would be removed, but perhaps this is acceptable? It is surely better to remove all the fines and some catalyst, than to allow fines to remain in the system.
07/02/2009 A: Hubert Mueller, Bayernoil, guhumueller@web.de
The amount of 30% full spheres is normally not very high and depending on the total amount of fines produced I would recommend a calculation if the additional effort to separate spheres, broken spheres and fines is economical justified in comparison to replace the fines with fresh catalyst and send the fines for platinum recovery.
A method for separating full spheres might be wind screening, but I´m not aware who could supply the relevant equipment and how good the separation works.