Rare Earth-Based Catalysts for Oil Refining Applications – Khabarovsk, Russia

Client Background

A regional oil refining company located in Khabarovsk Krai, Russia, operating multiple atmospheric and vacuum distillation units. In 2018, the client began exploring alternatives to conventional cracking catalysts to reduce sulfur content and improve light oil yield in line with new national environmental regulations aligned with Euro-5 standards.

Project Scope

Hongbang Technology partnered with the client’s R&D and procurement departments to develop and supply a rare earth–based catalytic material using cerium and lanthanum oxides. The goal was to improve catalytic selectivity and thermal stability while extending the service life of the catalyst under continuous operation.

Technical Deliverables

Material Composition:
- Custom-blended FCC additive based on CeO₂–La₂O₃, with high oxygen storage capacity and thermal resistance
- Particle size distribution tailored for fluid catalytic cracking (D50 ≈ 65μm)
Regeneration Stability: Maintained 85% catalytic activity after 5 regeneration cycles
Sulfur Reduction: Enabled a measurable decrease in final diesel product sulfur content by 17% (as validated in independent testing)

Project Timeline

2018: Initial feasibility discussion and sample evaluation (200 kg pilot batch)
2019–2020: Pilot-scale implementation in a 10,000 bpd FCC unit; comparative trials with legacy catalyst
2021: Full commercial adoption of Hongbang’s formulation across two refining lines
2023–2024: Annual supply scaled to 80 tons per year; discussion initiated to extend collaboration to gasoline hydrodesulfurization units

Outcome & Impact

The rare earth catalyst improved light distillate yield by approximately 6.2%
Reduced catalyst replacement frequency by 30%, lowering overall operational costs
Client was able to meet updated environmental compliance standards without upgrading reactor infrastructure
As of 2024, Hongbang remains the preferred vendor for rare earth catalytic materials in the region