Production of Middle Distillate Through Hydrocracking of Paraffin Wax

A significant challenge in the hydrocracking (HC) process is managing the complex reaction path to adjust product selectivity. In this study, the hydrocracking ability of two different catalysts over model paraffin wax was investigated, where the HC activity was analyzed through process conditions for the selectivity of middle distillates. Catalysts containing different metals and support compositions were selected to analyze the effects on product distribution and chemical composition. According to the results, high wax conversion ratios from C21+ cracking were obtained during HC, with primary cracking identified as the main process for the Ni/W-containing catalyst. Furthermore, the Ni/W-containing catalyst is more favorable for middle distillates production, while the Pt-containing catalyst is more reactive for light product yield, such as the gasoline range. Additionally, the latter is more prone to produce i-paraffin compositions under all process parameters compared to the former. Higher temperatures positively affect the production of middle distillates in the case of Ni/W catalyst; namely, the maximum middle distillate (C-10-C-20) yield of 49 wt% was obtained under 450 degrees C, 45-min reaction time, and 30 bar initial hydrogen pressure.