Introduction

How long can inert ceramic balls last? The service life of different types of ceramic ball catalysts is different, and it is also inseparable from the temperature, pressure, chemical environment, fluid erosion, and particle collisions in the use environment of the ceramic ball catalyst.

The approximate service life of ceramic ball catalysts

Alumina ceramic ball catalyst: Under the general petrochemical reaction environment (temperature ranging from 400 to 600°C, pressure ranging from 2 to 8MPa, relatively mild chemical environment), the service life is usually 3-5 years. If used in process requirements that are not high and relatively simple reaction conditions, such as some simple synthesis reactions in small chemical enterprises, the service life may be extended to 5-7 years.

Corundum ceramic ball catalyst: With its high hardness and good wear resistance, it has a service life of about 3-4 years in reaction conditions that are relatively demanding, such as in the catalytic cracking unit of a refinery (temperature ranging from 600 to 700°C, pressure ranging from 3 to 10MPa, with severe fluid erosion and particle collisions).

Active ceramic ball catalyst: Its service life is greatly affected by the stability of the active component. Under conditions where the active component is stable, such as in some olefin saturation and denitrification reactions (temperature ranging from 300 to 500°C, pressure ranging from 1 to 5MPa), the service life can be 2-3 years.

Note: The above views represent personal opinions only and should not be taken as actual usage guidelines.

Ceramic Ball Catalyst Applications

Catalytic Cracking Process: In petroleum catalytic cracking facilities, inert ceramic ball carriers are used to load zeolite and other catalysts. For example, in the fluidized catalytic cracking (FCC) reactor, inert ceramic balls serve as the support for the catalyst, allowing the catalyst particles to be evenly distributed. Petroleum feedstock undergoes thermal cracking under high temperature and catalyst action to produce gasoline, diesel, and other light oil products. The high-temperature resistance (up to 700 - 800℃) and good mechanical strength of the inert ceramic balls ensure that the catalyst will not be deactivated or lost due to high-temperature sintering or fluid washout under the severe reaction conditions. Furthermore, its reasonable pore structure facilitates the entry of petroleum macromolecules into the active sites of the catalyst for cracking reactions, improving the yield of light oil products. Generally, the yield of gasoline can be increased by about 30% - 50%.

Hydrogenation Purification Process: In the hydrogenation purification reaction, inert ceramic ball carriers are used to load metal catalysts such as nickel and molybdenum. For example, in the hydrogenation purification of diesel, the inert ceramic ball carrier allows the metal catalyst to be highly dispersed, providing a large number of active sites for the sulfur, nitrogen, and other impurities in the diesel to react with hydrogen. The reaction temperature is usually between 300 - 400℃, and the pressure is between 4 - 10MPa. The chemical stability of the inert ceramic ball carrier ensures that the carrier is not corroded by corrosive media such as hydrogen sulfide and ammonia in the environment, thus maintaining the activity of the catalyst, reducing the sulfur content of the diesel to less than 10ppm, and meeting the increasingly stringent environmental emission standards.

Synthesis of Ammonia Production: In the Haber-Bosch process for ammonia synthesis, inert ceramic balls serve as the carrier for iron

Organic Synthesis Reactions: In the synthesis of fine chemical products such as fragrances and pharmaceutical intermediates, inert ceramic ball carriers also play an important role. For example, in the hydrogenation reaction of a drug intermediate, an inert ceramic ball-supported palladium catalyst is used. The reaction temperature and pressure are determined according to the specific reaction requirements, and the uniform porous structure of the ceramic ball helps to facilitate the diffusion of reactant molecules, allowing the reaction to proceed under mild conditions while improving the selectivity of the reaction and reducing the occurrence of side reactions, which is beneficial for obtaining high-purity drug intermediates.