Skip to main content
Main Menu
  • Bed Topping Media
    Back
    Bed Topping Media
    • Hold Down Media
    • MacroTrap Guard Bed Media
  • Catalyst Carrier
    Back
    Catalyst Carrier
    • Materials
    • Shapes
      Back
      Shapes
      • Accu Spheres
        Back
        Accu Spheres
    • Support Media
      Back
      Support Media
      • Which Denstone do I need?
      • Denstone deltaP
        Back
        Denstone deltaP
        • Denstone 2000
        • Denstone 57
        • Denstone 99
        • Denstone Size Selection Guide
        • Denstone Pressure Drop Estimator
      • Mass Transfer Products
        Back
        Mass Transfer Products
        • Aludur Support Assemblies
        • Secondary Support Media
        • Proware Saddles & Raschig Rings
      • RTO Packings
        Back
        RTO Packings
        • HexPak Heat Transfer Media
        • Snowflake Heat Transfer Media
        • Ty-Pak Heat Transfer Media
        • NorPro Saddles
      • Resources
        Back
        Resources
        • About Us
        • ISO Certification
        • News & Events
          Back
          News & Events
          • Document Center
          • Contact Us
          • Articles
          • Our Capabilities
          • Tools
            Back
            Tools
            • Denstone Size Selection Guide
            • Denstone Pressure Drop Estimator
        world SAINT-GOBAIN
        Logo Saint-Gobain NorPro
        • Bed Topping Media
          • Hold Down Media
          • MacroTrap Guard Bed Media

        • Catalyst Carrier
          • Materials
          • Shapes
            • Accu Spheres

        • Support Media
          • Which Denstone do I need?
          • Denstone deltaP
          • Denstone 2000
          • Denstone 57
          • Denstone 99
          • Denstone Size Selection Guide
          • Denstone Pressure Drop Estimator

        • Mass Transfer Products
          • Aludur Support Assemblies
          • Secondary Support Media
          • Proware Saddles & Raschig Rings
        • RTO Packings
          • HexPak Heat Transfer Media
          • Snowflake Heat Transfer Media
          • Ty-Pak Heat Transfer Media
          • NorPro Saddles
        • Resources
          • About Us
          • Our Capabilities
          • Articles
          • ISO Certification
          • News & Events
          • Document Center
          • Contact Us
          • Tools
            • Denstone Size Selection Guide
            • Denstone Pressure Drop Estimator

        You are here

        1. Home
        2. Resources
        3. Articles
        4. Size Uniformity and Formulation Adaptability Gains Commercial Acceptance (Article)

        RESOURCES

        Resources Menu  

        About Us

        Our Capabilities

        Articles

        ISO Certification

        News & Events

        Document Center

        Contact Us

        Tools

        Accu® Sphere Catalyst Carrier: Size Uniformity and Formulation Adaptability Gains Commercial Acceptance (Article)

        July 3, 2019

        Accu spheres address the demands for small diameter catalyst carriers | Saint-Gobain NorProSaint-Gobain NorPro introduced the Accu® spheres brand in 2018 to address demands for small diameter (typically less than 3 mm) spherical catalyst carriers. They are effective in several commercial applications for both fixed and moving bed reactors, showcasing an inherent ability to remove contaminants and coking. This attribute is exceptionally well suited for applications where catalyst regeneration is required, including catalytic biofuel applications.

        Accu sphere catalyst carriers

        The size of Accu spheres is optimized to balance pressure drop and external surface area, while porosity and internal surface areas are tailored to suit a specific catalyst and chemical reaction. They are produced with a narrow size distribution and feature unprecedented size uniformity, providing high geometric surface area, uniform packing and even flow distribution. These highly adaptable spherical catalyst carriers are also available in multiple formulations, compositions and properties in a range of sizes from 0.3 mm to over 4 mm, drawing interest from chemical, petrochemical, refinery and biofuels markets.

        Accu Spheres, Typical Size Distribution | Saint-Gobain NorProAccu spheres’ key attributes:

        • Narrow size distribution
        • Excellent control to average particle size
        • Tailored porosity and internal surface area
        • Multiple formulations available including: alumina, silica, titania, zirconia, zeolites and mixed oxides
        • A gradient of chemistries within each particle is possible

         

        Case study No. 1: Illustrating size control

        Saint-Gobain NorPro produces Accu spheres using a unique manufacturing process that yields excellent control over average particle size. Their process ensures excellent repeatability and particle size distribution has an average absolute error of just 1.5%, with a span of less than 15% between D10 and D90.

        The narrow size distribution and unprecedented size uniformity of Accu spheres complements Saint-Gobain’s traditional mono-sized spherical catalyst carrier, Unispheres® carriers, which are considered highly mono-sized themselves. Unispheres carriers are available in a range of sizes from 1.6 mm to 8 mm. However, at the smaller diameter sizes, Unispheres carriers yield and size control are reduced. In contrast, 1.6 mm Accu spheres maintain a mean diameter within 0.8%, while the mean diameter of Unispheres carriers can be up to 6.7% of its target value.

        Technology UniSpheres® Accu® Spheres
        Target median diameter (mm) 1.6 1.6
        N, BET surface area (m2/g) 248 279
        Hg intrusion volume (cm/g) 0.89 0.82
        Average pore diameter (a) 94 93
        F.P.C.S. (lb) 3.5 3.7
        PSD CamSizer, D10 (µm) 1152 1479
        PSD CamSizer, D50 (µm) 1493 1587
        PSD CamSizer, D90 (µm) 1700 1705
        Deviation from target D50 (%) 6.7 0.8
        Span (D90 -D10) / D50 (%) 36.7 4.2
        Accu spheres provide for narrow size distribution and unprecedented size uniformity.

        Case study No. 2: Economic benefits of a gradient of chemistries

        Accu sphere preparation provides for novel compositions | Saint-Gobain NorProSaint-Gobain NorPro has a unique ability for producing Accu spheres with a gradient of chemistries and has introduced the concept to reduce the high cost associated with some higher-performance catalyst carrier materials such as zirconia or high purity silica. Accu spheres can be produced with a controlled and varied chemistry from the surface through to its core.

        These novel core and shell particles are new in the industry and Saint-Gobain NorPro has the expertise to prepare these spherical support particles in several different chemistries. In the examples below, the first figure showcases a 350 micron dense alumina core accompanied by a 100 micron silica coating. The second figure depicts variance in zirconia content with element mapping completed by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. In both instances, the higher-cost media is distributed across the outside of the spherical catalyst carrier where the physical properties of the higher cost media are most influential to process parameters.

        Few vendors make comparable-sized spheres in large quantities, and those that do are typically limited in size or by material composition. Saint-Gobain NorPro Accu spheres are developed and prototyped for the intended application, with custom samples available upon request.

        Accu spheres address the need for tightly controlled target diameterThe company’s unique, customer-driven proficiency is supported by a 50- to 100-ton per year development plant. They can tailor porosity and produce a range of sphere sizes in large quantities, in multiple compositions, with varying properties and chemistries.

        Saint-Gobain NorPro also has extensive experience in material science and raw material characterization. They can provide catalyst carrier media in a wide range of refractory metal oxides inclusive of alumina, rare-earth metal oxides, zirconia and titania, and typically function as a one-stop turnkey solutions provider. In fact, nearly 90% of sales are comprised of a custom proprietary catalyst carrier co-developed with customers for a specific application.

        Saint-Gobain NorPro Accu spheres are commercially available and these new micro-sized catalyst carrier spheres meet the industry's ever-growing demands. They are ideal for slurry or moving bed reactors where coking and constant catalyst generation are required and have wide employment in chemical, petrochemical, refinery and the rapidly growing biofuels markets.

         

        ► Contact Us to for more information on Accu® sphere catalyst carriers.

        Saint-Gobain NorPro is a business of Saint-Gobain Ceramic Materials

         

        MENU

        Bed Topping Media
        Catalyst Carrier
        Denstone® Support Media
        Mass Transfer Products
        RTO Media
        Resources
        Document Center
        Site Map
        Legal
        CATSCA

         CONTACT US

        FOLLOW US

        Linked In, Saint-Gobain NorPro
        Saint-Gobain Seals, Twitter
        Saint-Gobain NorPro, YouTube

        © Copyright Saint-Gobain 2021. All rights reserved.