Comparison of correlations to predict hydrotreating product properties during hydrotreating of heavy oils

Eighteen correlations taken from the literature developed for predicting the properties and other process parameters during hydrotreating of petroleum fractions were tested with experimental information obtained at different conditions (type of feed, reactor and catalyst as well as reaction conditions) from which they were derived. Firstly, the original values of parameters of each correlation were used to reproduce the experimental data, finding that most of them failed to do so. Secondly, the values of all parameters were optimized and predictions notoriously improved, but some correlations still exhibited difficulties. Finally, an attempt to correlate parameters with feedstock properties was made. It was found that the polynomial type showed the best prediction accuracy in general. The exponential equation also showed good prediction capability and good correlation between its parameters and feedstock properties.