Benzene cracking

The cumene (isopropyl benzene) cracking reaction is often used as a model reaction for determining the relative activities of cracking catalysts. 

The reaction steps were consistent with known pure component behavior. For example, a benzene cracking reaction was not allowed. 

Surface Characterization of the Stabilized Catalyst by Probe Molecule Reaction. HZSM-5 obtained from PQ Zeolite was chosen to study the mechanism of stabilization in light naphtha aromatization. The reactions of both molecules were carried out over stabilized and unstabilized HZSM-5. We assumed first order kinetics with respect to each reactant concentration and first order decay of each reaction, and calculated initial rate constants. Figure 6 shows the initial rate constants of cumene cracking and triisopropyl-benzene cracking over the stabilized and the unstabilized catalysts. 

The figure shows the large reduction in the rate constants of triisopropyl-benzene cracking. This suggests that large number of the acid sites on the external surface of the zeolite was removed by the stabilization, while the majority of the acid sites in the intracrystalline micro pore remained. 

The mechanism described above does not explain the fact that imder controlled conditions, benzene in the presence of aluminum chloride-hydrogen chloride catalyst, inhibits not only the cracking but also the isomerization reaction (Table XXV, experiment 3) while in the absence of benzene cracking is the predominant reaction. The mechanism postulated above does not take into consideration the observations made that under controlled conditions saturated hydrocarbons such as methylcyclopentane, cyclohexane, or butanes (7, 23, 35) do not undergo isomerization, unless traces of olefins are present. 

Dependence of isopropyl benzene cracking activity at 600 C. on acidity for a series of SiOj-AljOs catalysts. (Tamele, 9b.)... 

These workers obtained evidence that the silicon - C5H3 bond is more stable than the C - C5H5 bond. Thus phenyltrimethylsilane cracks at 700°C, whilst tert-butyl benzene cracks at >292,... 

Cyclohexane was dehydrogenated above 200°C to give the reverse reaction. At higher temperatures benzene cracked to form methane and carbon. 

Arosolvan process A process for the extraction of benzene and toluene from a mixture of aromatic and saturated hydrocarbons using a mixture of water and N-methylpyrrolidone. The process is used when naphtha is cracked to produce alkenes. To prevent extraction of alkenes these are saturated by hydrogenation prior to extraction. 

CeH3Me3. Liquid produced by catalytic cracking of methyl benzenes. Used to prepare trimellitic anhydride. 

Pyrolysis gasoline is a by-product of the steam cracking of hydrocarbon feeds in ethylene crackers (see Ethylene). Pyrolysis gasoline typically contains about 50—70 wt % aromatics, of which roughly 50% is benzene, 30% is toluene, and 20% is mixed xylenes (which includes EB). 

Historically, the isomerization catalysts have included amorphous siUca-aluminas, zeoHtes, and metal-loaded oxides. AH of the catalysts contain acidity, which isomerizes the xylenes and if strong enough can also crack the EB and xylenes to benzene and toluene. Dual functional catalysts additionally contain a metal that is capable of converting EB to xylenes. 

Mobil s High Temperature Isomerization (MHTI) process, which was introduced in 1981, uses Pt on an acidic ZSM-5 zeoHte catalyst to isomerize the xylenes and hydrodealkylate EB to benzene and ethane (126). This process is particularly suited for unextracted feeds containing Cg aHphatics, because this catalyst is capable of cracking them to light paraffins. Reaction occurs in the vapor phase to produce a PX concentration slightly higher than equiHbrium, ie, 102—104% of equiHbrium. EB conversion is about 40—65%, with xylene losses of about 2%. Reaction conditions ate temperature of 427—460°C, pressure of 1480—1825 kPa, WHSV of 10—12, and a H2/hydtocatbon molar ratio of 1.5—2 1. Compared to the MVPI process, the MHTI process has lower xylene losses and lower formation of heavy aromatics. 

Aromatic. Aromatic feedstreams (C-8, C-9, C-10) derived from the steam cracking of petroleum distillates are composed of styrene, iadene, vinyltoluenes (eg, meta- and i ra-methylstyrene), and their respective alkylated analogues. A typical aromatic feedstream might contain 50% reactive olefins with the remainder being alkylated benzenes and higher aromatics. 

Wax Cracking. One or more wax-cracked a-olefin plants were operated from 1962 to 1985 Chevron had two such plants at Richmond, California, and Shell had three in Europe. The wax-cracked olefins were of limited commercial value because they contained internal olefins, branched olefins, diolefins, aromatics, and paraffins. These were satisfactory for feed to alkyl benzene plants and for certain markets, but unsatisfactory for polyethylene comonomers and several other markets. Typical distributions were C 33% C q, 7% 25% and 35%. Since both odd and... 

Unreacted EDC recovered from the pyrolysis product stream contains a variety of cracking by-products. A number of these, eg, trichloroethylene, chloroprene, and benzene, are not easily removed by simple distillation and require additional treatment (78). Chloroprene can build up in the light ends... 

Petroleum-derived benzene is commercially produced by reforming and separation, thermal or catalytic dealkylation of toluene, and disproportionation. Benzene is also obtained from pyrolysis gasoline formed ia the steam cracking of olefins (35). 

Catalytic Reforming. Worldwide, approximately 30% of commercial benzene is produced by catalytic reforming, a process ia which aromatic molecules are produced from the dehydrogenation of cycloparaffins, dehydroisomerization of alkyl cyclopentanes, and the cycHzation and subsequent dehydrogenation of paraffins (36). The feed to the catalytic reformer may be a straight-mn, hydrocracked, or thermally cracked naphtha fraction ia the... 

FIG. 23-3 Temperature and composition profiles, a) Oxidation of SOp with intercooling and two cold shots, (h) Phosgene from GO and Gfi, activated carbon in 2-in tubes, water cooled, (c) Gumene from benzene and propylene, phosphoric acid on < uartz, with four quench zones, 260°G. (d) Mild thermal cracking of a heavy oil in a tubular furnace, hack pressure of 250 psig and sever heat fluxes, Btu/(fr-h), T in °F. (e) Vertical ammonia svi,ithesizer at 300 atm, with five cold shots and an internal exchanger. (/) Vertical methanol svi,ithesizer at 300 atm, Gr O -ZnO catalyst, with six cold shots totaling 10 to 20 percent of the fresh feed. To convert psi to kPa, multiply by 6.895 atm to kPa, multiply by 101.3. 

In a 4-I. wide-mouthed glass jar, fitted with a mechanical stirrer, is placed a solution of 150 g. (3 moles) of sodium cyanide (Note i) in 500 cc. of water and 318 g. (3 moles) of u.s.P. benz-aldehyde. The stirrer is started and 850 cc. of a saturated solution of sodium bisulfite (Note 2) is added to the mixture, slowly at first and then in a thm stream. The time of addition is ten to fifteen minutes. During the addition of the first half of this solution, 900 g. of cracked ice is added to the reaction mixture, a handful at a time. The layer of mandelonitrile which appears during the addition of the sulfite solution is separated from the water in a separatory funnel. The water is extracted once with about 150 cc. of benzene, the benzene is evaporated, and the residual mandelonitrile is added to the main portion. 

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