Nickel and vanadium distribution in the residue during hydrotreating in a fixed bed reactor

The distribution of nickel and vanadium in the residue feedstock and various products obtained from fixed bed hydrotreating was investigated. The contents of nickel and vanadium in three fractions (low polar, polar, and strong polar) obtained under different temperatures and from various catalytic sections were determined. The results showed that the contents of nickel and vanadium in the residue feedstock are reduced significantly after hydrotreating. The removal ratios of nickel and vanadium at the base temperature reach 78.9% and 85.8%, respectively. Moreover, both the nickel and vanadium compounds are mainly removed by the protecting catalyst and demetalization catalyst. The contents of nickel and vanadium in low polar fractions are obviously affected by the hydrotreating process and reaction temperature; however, the contents of nickel and vanadium in strong polar fractions are less sensitive to these processing parameters.