Engineers revieiwng charts and Specialty Hydroprocessing Nebula

Specialty hydroprocessing (Nebula®)

Nebula® bulk metal hydroprocessing catalyst delivers up to two times the activity of traditional hydroprocessing catalysts. Jointly developed by ExxonMobil and Albemarle Corporation, pioneering Nebula catalyst technology provides exceptional hydrogenation power, increasing hydrodesulfurization (HDS), hydrodenitrogenation (HDN) and aromatic saturation activity.

Key benefits

Hydroprocessing value

Refiners use Nebula catalyst technology to upgrade difficult feeds to diesel and other high-value products, as well as to increase production volumes of on-spec distillate products. For ultra-low sulfur diesel, Nebula catalyst technology lets refiners enjoy small capital investment to meet regulatory requirements. For LCO hydrocracker, the catalyst results in increased throughput and LCO to diesel VGO hydrocracking and improved yield and product quality.

Ultra-high activity

Nebula bulk metal catalysts have proven to be up to two times more active than conventional supported catalysts. Due to its high activity, and pairing with Albemarle’s STAX® technology, Nebula catalyst can be a drop-in solution for existing units. Nebula has more active sites per unit catalyst volume, and usually accounts for 15-35 percent of the reactor load.
hydropressing graph, molecule, and payback icons

Proven performance

  • Outstanding market acceptance: 60 individual users with over 5,000 MT sold
  • Exceptional customer loyalty: 85 to 90 percent repeat customers and more than one new customer every two months
LGO and CGO cycle comparison graph

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