Developments in reforming catalysts: A never-ending story

Delphine Bazer-Bachi is Development and Industrialization Team Manager, Industrial Operations Business Division, for Axens. She began her professional career in 2005 as a Research Engineer at IFPEN. She acquired 10 yr of R&D experience in the field of heterogeneous catalysis, with a focus on inorganic chemistry and carrier shaping applied to various topics such as hydrocracking, biodiesel, separations and reforming. In 2016, she joined Axens as a Development and Industrialization Engineer and is in charge of the development of different catalysts and their industrialization in Axens industrial sites, with a specialization in reforming catalysts and carriers (alumina synthesis, shaping and catalyst formulation). Dr. Bazer-Bachi holds an engineering degree from the École Nationale Supérieure des Industries Chimiques in Nancy (ENSIC) and a PhD (chemical engineering) from Université de Lorraine.

Matthew Hutchinson is Senior Technology Manager, Gasoline and Petrochemical Technologies, for Axens. He brings more than 25 yr of refining experience to his current role at Axens, where manages the Reforming and Aromatic Technology team. In this role, his group is responsible for process licensing (grassroots and revamps solutions) and technical catalyst support, projections and technical service. Hutchinson has played a key role in the North American reforming support, development of improved reforming internals and implementation of Connect’In, Axens’ digital monitoring solution over the last 7 yr. He graduated from Cornell University with a BS degree in chemical engineering.

Pierre-Yves Le Goff is Global Market Manager Reforming and Paraffin Isomerization, Commercial Business Division, Commercial Strategy and Customer Marketing Department, for Axens. He began his professional career in 1995 as a Research Engineer at Rhone Poulenc in France, where he acquired extensive R&D experience in a variety of programs with major emphasis on inorganic synthesis and carrier shaping. He joined Axens in 2000 as a Technical Manager for reforming and naphtha hydrotreating applications. After several years in that position, Dr. le Goff joined the Technology Development and Innovation department, where he was in charge of mainly R&D projects in the field of reforming and aromatics. He was appointed to his current position at the end of 2018, and is now responsible for the strategy and development of technical and commercial departments in connection with R&D. Dr. le Goff holds an engineering degree from the École de Chimie de Mulhouse, an MBA from Université de la Sorbonne in Paris, and a PhD from Université de Haute-Alsace.

Fabienne Le Peltier is Product Development Manager, New Development and Transformation Business Division, for Axens. She began her professional career as a Research Engineer at IFPEN in the field of heterogeneous catalysis, specializing in metallic supported catalysts for hydrogenation, dehydrogenation and reforming applications. She joined the Axens Technical Service group in 2001 as Technical Advisor, and created a laboratory network to organize spent catalysts and petroleum products analysis and an analysis database to support technical service engineers in their troubleshooting activities. In 2013, Dr. le Peltier joined the New Development and Transformation Business Division, where she has also been involved in the field of new product development and has set up various characterization methods of catalysts. Dr. le Peltier holds an engineering degree from the École de Chimie de Rennes, and a PhD in petroleum science from the Université de Paris VI.

Christophe Pierre is Reforming Product Line Manager, Gasoline Product Line Technology and Technical Support Business Division, for Axens. He joined Axens in 2002 as a Process Engineer in the engineering department and moved later as Project Manager for reforming and gasoline projects. Pierre joined the technology group in 2007 and was in charge of reforming and isomerization technologies related to gasoline pool problematics. In 2014, he became Technology Team Manager in charge of aromatics proposals, and then gasoline proposals. In 2022, he was appointed as Reforming Product Line Manager in the Gasoline Product Line Technology and Technical Support Business Division. Pierre holds an engineering degree from the École Nationale Supérieure des Industries Chimiques and was post-graduated from IFP school.