TK-930 D-wax™ – A tiny dewaxing catalyst with a major impact on SAF production

What if a single catalyst could open the door to the fast-growing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) market? Meet TK-930 D-wax™! This dewaxing catalyst is making it easy for refineries to take their first step into renewable fuels production – while also delivering significant advantages in conventional fuel production. 

To help us unpack the chemistry and market impact, we teamed up with Ignacio Costa, Technology Licensing Manager and a chemical engineer with a well-rounded understanding of both the science and business of fuel production. 

A dewaxing catalyst designed to keep our fuel fluid 

A dewaxing catalyst is vital in the production of winter-grade diesel and in processing renewable feedstocks because it directly improves cold flow properties. By enhancing these properties, the fuel remains fluid and reliable even in cold conditions. Without an effective dewaxing catalyst like TK-930 D-wax, fuels can crystallize and clog filters, leading to operational issues.  

TK-930 D-wax is a selective dewaxing catalyst, that was designed to improve cold flow properties and minimize yield loss during the production of both conventional fuels (such as ultra-low sulfur diesel) and renewable fuels. The result is safer and more reliable fuels for everyone – from truck drivers to airline passengers. 

“Every time you dewax a fuel, you will lose some valuable yields. But in short, what is outstanding of TK-930 D-wax is that even under difficult operating conditions, it delivers great cold flow improvements with minimal yield loss!” says Ignacio.

Ignacio Costa, Technology Licensing Manager at Topsoe
 

Isomerization capabilities are key to minimal yield loss 

When crude oil or renewable feedstocks are converted into fuels like jet fuel, their properties must be improved to ensure they flow well at low temperatures. This is done using a dewaxing catalyst. Dewaxing catalysts need to carefully balance two chemical reactions: cracking and isomerization. Cracking involves breaking large molecules into smaller ones (undesired) and isomerization involves rearranging molecules to improve flow (desired). Both reactions happen on special materials called zeolites, which have tiny acidic spots that help trigger these two important chemical reactions. The TK-930 D-wax catalyst uses a specially designed zeolite that has been fine-tuned with many small improvements. This help encourage more isomerization and reduces cracking, which makes the process more efficient. 

Ignacio explains: “The TK-930’s strong isomerization capabilities are the key to its exceptional cold flow properties and minimal yield loss. As an isomerization catalyst, our R&D team has been able to produce a catalyst with the right balance of acidity and metal content, which enables it to deliver the necessary activity without compromising performance. This outstanding work from our team helps maximize fuel yield and minimize unwanted byproducts.” 

Adding to its value in the production of both conventional and renewable fuels, the TK-930 D-wax also effectively supports the removal of unwanted substances like sulfur, nitrogen and aromatics using hydrogen (through hydrogenation. 

Stepping into the world of co-processing 

Considering its great potential, it was no surprise that after its introduction in 2018, the TK-930 D-wax catalyst quickly set a new benchmark and became a key ingredient in hydrotreating units for both conventional and renewable fuels production (including sustainable aviation fuel) with Topsoe HydroFlex™ technology. 

With ongoing shifts in the market, co-processing for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production started emerging as an even more promising opportunity: 
 

• In 2018 the ASTM approved Annex 1.2.2.1 to D1655 allowing the co-processing of up to 5vol% triglycerides, free fatty acids and fatty acids ester in petroleum refineries to be blended into jet fuel. 
  
• The same year, the Renewable Energy Directive, the EU Commission announced mandates on SAF where blend of traditional fuels with bio-based fuels was allowed. Mandates on SAF started in 2025.  
• In 2023, the European Commission adopted a delegated act (Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/996) which specified how to monitor, certify, and account for the share of biogenic carbon in fuels produced by co-processing. 
  

But the right solution for co-processing renewable feedstocks to SAF still had to be found. 

A tried, tested and proven solution for SAF production 

The TK-930 D-wax quickly became a leading candidate when we started exploring different solutions for co-processing.  

“From our previous experience with SAF production, we knew a dewaxing catalyst would be critical, because the production of SAF requires dewaxing renewable feedstocks,” Ignacio explains. 

“When we tested the TK-930 D-wax catalyst as a potential solution, we were amazed by the results. The catalyst supported SAF production through co-processing extremely well. We perform co-processing for SAF pilot tests at kerosene hydrotreater conditions, a unit not originally designed for dewaxing. This means the catalyst operates under harsh conditions, but despite this it still performs exceptionally well.” 

At the ERTC conference in November 2024, we presented our successful co-processing test results with the TK-930 D-wax catalyst in collaboration with TotalEnergies. Since then, five other customers around the globe have chosen the TK-930 D-wax catalyst as an easier step into SAF production, demonstrating this catalysts potential to advance SAF production worldwide.

Explore the more detailed chemistry of the TK-930 D-wax™ here.