Process simulation and techno-economic evaluation of recovery of metals and alumina from spent hydroprocessing catalysts using leaching with EDTA

Abstract

In this work, simulation and techno-economic performance evaluation of a metal recovery process are performed using SuperPro Designer® simulation software. The aim is to simulate the recovery of metals, including molybdenum, vanadium, nickel, and alumina (Mo, V, Ni, and Al), present in spent hydroprocessing catalysts. The catalysts are usually discarded as solid wastes from the petroleum refining industries. The metal recovery process layout has been developed with reasonable assumptions and optimum reaction conditions that are carried out for hydrotreating (HDT) spent catalysts using EDTA as a leaching agent. The simulation process design included economic performance evaluation, the total cost of investment, unit production cost, internal rate of return, net present value, and project payback time, which gives promising results to utilize EDTA as an efficient metal recovery process.