In addition to the “standard” contaminants of nickel, vanadium, iron, and sodium, there are a variety of other feed contaminants that can impact FCC performance. For example, tight oils (also known as shale oils) can contain high levels of potassium, magnesium and calcium in addition to the iron normally found in them8. While bio-based feedstocks are not yet widely processed in commercial units, they would be expected to contain higher levels of calcium, sodium, magnesium, and potassium than conventional feed sources since these elements all play an important role in biological systems. High levels of phosphorous have been found on synthetic crudes.
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