2025 Spring Meeting and 21st Global Congress on Process Safety

(132b) Analysis of Fouling Processes during Renewable Fuel Production and Other Relevant Cases

Authors

Christopher Buehler, Exponent Inc
Harri K. Kytömaa, Exponent, Inc
The increased demand for renewable fuels, such as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel, driven by global sustainability and energy transition efforts, is leading to an increase in the volume of renewable feedstocks the industry is processing. However, incorporating these renewable sources into conventional petroleum processes introduces complexity to a long-standing issue faced by the industry: the fouling of surfaces in heat exchangers, pipelines, and process equipment. This increase in complexity is associated with substances present in renewable feedstocks that are not found in traditional petroleum sources.

In this talk, we will discuss the mechanisms of fouling and deposition build-up, providing various industrial examples. These examples will include fouling in biodiesel systems due to gel formation, as well as the deposition and build-up of solids from lubricants and leachates in refrigerant systems, associated with the incompatibility of refrigerant, lubricant, and polymeric parts.