Development of a Continuous Kinetic Model for Catalytic Hydrodenitrogenation of Bitumen

Catalytic hydrocracking of topped Athabasca bitumen was investigated in a continuous stirred-basket reactor, using a fresh and spent commercial catalyst, as well as in the presence of no catalyst. A continuous lumping model was developed for kinetic analysis of hydrodenitrogenation and hydrocracking reactions. The normalized boiling point was used to describe the reactant mixture as a continuous mixture. The continuous model, with five adjustable parameters, was used to describe hydrocracking reactions. Reactions of nitrogen compounds were described by series reactions, involving cracking to lower molecular weight products, as well as direct denitrogenation. The model was able to accurately predict the weight percent of distillation fractions and their nitrogen content in the products