催化剂的老化失活是研究催化剂反应的一个重要问题。影响催化剂失活的原因是催化剂在工艺装置中处于存在水蒸汽气氛的高温环境中，使催化剂原始粒子结构的排列改变，以致表面积变小，孔分布变粗。该催化剂水蒸汽老化装置是在一定温度、分压、空速、处理时间条件下，对催化剂进行老化处理的实验室装置，从试验可得到与工业平衡剂某些性能和结构相似的结果。
Catalytic cracking catalyst vapour ageing unit:
   　 The ageing deactivation of the catalyst is a important problem to research catalyst reaction.The reason that affects the catalyst activation ys that the high temperature of the aqueous vpour changes the stercture and order of the molecules,so the surface area of the catalyst is decreased and the pore distribution ys more broad .This unit is a laboratory device to age the fractiona pressure ,the space velocity ,and the dealing time .Theresult of the test is similar with the properties and structures of equilibrium reagents.