LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa.,
Oct. 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Air
Products (NYSE: APD) is building a hydrogen lab at its corporate
headquarters in Allentown, Pa.,
that will support the fast growing oil recycling industry. A key
feature of the new lab is a hydrotreatment unit capable of
performing high pressure and high temperature hydrogenation
reactions. Air Products will use the new hydrogen lab, which is
scheduled to be operational in the third quarter of 2015, to help
oil recyclers optimize their hydrotreatment processes.
Air Products' new hydrotreatment unit has been designed to test
the hydrogenation of various feedstocks over continuous flow
fixed-bed catalytic reactors. The company will use the
hydrotreatment unit to evaluate for its customers the impact of
feed quality, catalysts, and other operating parameters on product
quality, throughput, and process economics.
"If hydrotreatment is not carried out under optimal conditions,
an inferior quality of base oil is produced that has to be either
reprocessed or sold at a discounted price," said Dr. Vipul Dholakia, senior applications engineer at
Air Products. "The testing capability of the new hydrogen lab,
combined with our knowledge and experience as a hydrogenation
reaction and gas applications leader, will enable us to help oil
recyclers increase profitability by improving their product quality
and processing efficiency."
Hydrotreatment reaction is widely used to produce various
products such as low sulfur fuel, high quality lubricating base
oils, hydrogenated vegetable oil, and specialty chemicals used in
industrial, personal care, and pharmaceutical applications. The
reaction is often carried out with high pressure hydrogen gas in
the presence of a custom-made catalyst that enables the
reaction.
The new Air Products hydrogen lab will be used not only to
improve the commercial used oil hydrotreatment process, but also to
develop other applications, such as bio-fuel hydrogenation and
continuous hydrogenation to replace batch hydrogenation of
specialty chemicals.
About Air Products
Air Products (NYSE:APD) provides atmospheric, process and
specialty gases; performance materials; equipment; and technology.
For over 70 years, the company has enabled customers to become more
productive, energy efficient and sustainable. Recognized as one of
the world's most innovative companies by both Thomson Reuters and
Forbes magazine, more than 21,000 employees in over 50 countries
supply effective solutions to the energy, environment and emerging
markets. These include semiconductor materials, refinery hydrogen,
natural gas liquefaction, and advanced coatings and adhesives. In
fiscal 2013, Air Products had sales of $10.2
billion. For more information, visit www.airproducts.com.
NOTE: This release may contain forward-looking statements
within the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are
based on management's reasonable expectations and assumptions as of
the date of this release regarding important risk factors. Actual
performance and financial results may differ materially from
projections and estimates expressed in the forward-looking
statements because of many factors not anticipated by management,
including risk factors described in the Company's Form 10K for its
fiscal year ended September 30,
2013.
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-air-products-lab-will-help-oil-recyclers-optimize-hydrotreatment-processes-936004340.html
SOURCE Air Products