Hydrotreating of the diesel distillate from Huadian shale oil for production of clean fuel

The diesel distillate （200℃~360℃）accounting for about 41% in Huadian shale oil has higher sulphur，nitrogen and alkene contents. The main sulphur-containing compounds in the diesel distillate are BTs (benzylthiophene) and DBTs (di benzylthiophene), and the content of basic nitrogen compound in the distillate approaches to that of nonbasic nitrogen compound. In order to produce a clean fuel, the catalytic hydrotreating of diesel fraction from Huadian shale oil was investigated preliminarily in a fixed bed reactor using two kind of commercial catalysts including CoMo/Al₂O₃ and NiW/Al₂O₃ at different temperatures, hydrogen pressures, LHSVs (Liquid hourly space velocity) and the ratios of hydrogen/feedstock. The results show that increasing temperature, hydrogen pressure and residence time (reciprocal LHSV) can promote the removal of sulfur and nitrogen, while the hydrogen/feedstock ratio has little influence. The catalyst NiW is more active for hydrodenitrogenation (HDN) than CoMo. Under relative mild conditions, the diesel can be produced from Huadian shale oil distillate with low contents of sulfur, nitrogen and alkene, and lower density and higher cetane number, which can be used as a high quality fuel.