Evonik launches high‑performance isodewaxing catalysts for fuels, lubricants production

Evonik announced April 16 that it has launched a new generation of high-performing isodewaxing catalysts that significantly enhance the production of high-quality fuels and lubricants. 

The new catalysts incorporate Zeopore’s proprietary mesoporized zeolite technology from Belgium‑based technology company Zeopore into Evonik’s more than 75 years of catalyst design and precious-metal expertise.

They enable refiners and renewable fuel producers to increase valuable product yields while improving overall fuel quality and process efficiency.

By optimizing the porosity of the zeolite structure, the new catalysts improve access to active sites, intensify isomerization and reduce unwanted cracking.

This leads to higher selectivity, lower formation of light gases and more efficient hydrogen use.

Together, these advantages help decrease the overall CO2 footprint while maximizing throughput, particularly when processing challenging or renewable feedstocks.

Performance tests show that in diesel-dewaxing applications, the catalysts achieve a five-fold reduction in product losses compared to conventional solutions while maintaining higher activity levels.

In base-oil production, they can recover a significant percentage of lubricant typically lost during the dewaxing process.

Their feedstock-agnostic mesoporization approach ensures strong conversion performance across a wide variety of hydrocarbon streams.

It supports refiners as they expand production of low-carbon fuels such as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel.

Evonik said it strongly believes in zeolite mesoporization as a key enabler of high‑performance catalysts and has identified Zeopore as a leading industrial‑scale supplier of mesoporized dewaxing zeolites.

Evonik will therefore leverage its longstanding catalyst development and global commercial capabilities to integrate these materials into a new generation of high‑performance isodewaxing catalysts for the market.

“We can now offer a new generation of isodewaxing catalysts that improve yields, cold-flow performance and carbon footprint,” said Michael Frey, the product line head for process catalysts and adsorbents in Evonik’s catalysts business line. “This reflects our commitment to delivering solutions that meet the evolving needs of the fuels and lubricants industry.”

Zeopore CEO Kurt Du Mong added, “We are pleased that Evonik recognized the value of our mesoporous zeolites for dewaxing applications and will integrate our high-performance materials into its catalysts portfolio. Through Evonik’s global reach, this technology will support refiners in producing higher-quality fuels while accelerating the adoption of economically viable sustainable fuels.”