Catalytic Reforming and the Development of Unleaded High Octane Fuel

By: Spencer Kuhn & Jordan Lysinger

History of Catalytic Reforming in 5 periods

1st Period Early History
Dates back to early uses of fermentation Observations of the process were the main science Sporadically Documented

History of Catalytic Reforming in 5 periods

2nd Period Systematic Investivgation
Work of Jns Jacob Berzelius
Recorded early observations and classified them as catalysis in 1835

Wilhelm Ostwald
New perception of catalysis Said there is probably no chemical reaction which cannot be influenced catalytically

History of Catalytic Reforming in 5 periods cont

3rd Period Industrial Revolution
Mainly characterized by catalysis application to manufacturing needs Fast rate of industrial growth/WWI led to
More efficient processes Achieving dynamic equilibrium faster Need for bulk chemicals and explosives Cheap efficient manufacturing needs

History of Catalytic Reforming in 5 periods cont

4th Period Innovation
New focus on manufacturing of synthetic fuels and innovative processes Fisher-Tropsch Process Gasoline Refinery
Catalytic Cracking and Catalytic Reforming Fueling fighters in WWII and other various uses Vladimir Haensel Developed use of Platinum as a catalyst in reforming

History of Catalytic Reforming in 5 periods cont

5th Period Petrochemicals
New dependance on petrochemicals
based on or created from crude oil and petroleum Resulting from massive automotive boom Came as result of WWII

Engineers job to perfect this oil refinery to fuel the massive need for oil

Catalytic Reforming in Refining

Discovery
Samuel M. Kier Owner of major salt business
First used the foul smelling substance petroleum in lamps to light his work sites Major component of movement to industrialize the drilling and consumption of petroleum

Refinery of petroleum expensive and inefficient until Vladimir Haensel

Used platinum as a catalyst Enhancing quality, now high octane gasoline

What is a Catalytic Reformer?

Series of furnaces and reactors Involve processes such as isomerization, cracking, cyclization, and dehydrogenation

Reactor Efficiency
Determined by hydraulic loss Varies on factors affecting reagent mix in reactor Minimizing hydraulic loss leads in high efficiency reactors

Role of the Catalyst Mix

Acid/catalyst composition Parts of the mix catalyze different reactions Use of platinum catalyst is highly efficient

Isomerization of Paraffins
Creates higher octane paraffins

Cracking of Paraffins
Turns low octane paraffins into lighter gaseous state paraffins

Cyclization of Paraffins
Turns paraffins into cyclohexanes (Napthenes)

Dehydrogenation of Naphthenes
Creates final product of aromatic hydrocarbons from Napthenes

Energy Crisis
Automobile industry has undergone one of the biggest shifts in history since the mid 1900s
Vast need for combustible energy

Two sides of the problem

1- Need for sustainable clean energy 2- Depleting fossil fuel sources leading to need for alternative energy

Energy Crisis cont

World leaders need to take action on the energy crisis that is taking shape before our eyes. Oil prices are soaring and it looks less and less likely that this is a bubble. The price of coal has doubled. Countries as far apart as South Africa and Tajikistan are plagued by power cuts and there have been riots in several nations because of disruptions to electricity. Rich states, no longer strangers to periodic blackouts, are worried about security of energy supply. In the developing world, 1.6 billion people around a quarter of the human race have no access to electricity. ~Mohamed El Baradei, a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency

What is being done today?

When talking about fossil fuels few things need to be considered
Are companies drilling for oil in the middle east thinking the same things that American companies are?
Need simple way to integrate this

Alternative Energy
Biofuels such as ethanol
Sugar cane ethanol as being mass produced in Brazil poses as on good substitute Gasoline is the alternative energy in Brazil Over 90% of vehicles sold in Brazil today are flex fuel Capable of using ethanol

International Energy Committee Needed

Regulate and bring together all companies that drill or purchase

Represents one of the most likely alternative combustible energies

Sustainability
When it comes to combustible energy, sustainability has a lot to do with environmental protection
Like stated before choices of direction are
Further developing Catalytic Reforming Alternative Fuels such as Sugar Cane Ethanol

EPA defines sustainability as

Everything that we need for our survival and wellbeing depends, either directly or indirectly, on our natural environment. Sustainability creates and maintains the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony, that permit fulfilling the social, economic and other requirements of present and future generations.

Conclusion
Catalytic reforming revolutionized the petroleum industry
Optimized due to innovators like Vladimir Haensel Efficient production of high octane fuel

Ideal choice for sustainable energy

A temporary fix to the ongoing energy crisis until alternative fuel sources, like sugar cane ethanol, are discovered