Catalytic cracking direct process

Residues containing high levels of heavy metals are not suitable for catalytic cracking units. These feedstocks may be subjected to a demetallization process to reduce their metal contents. For example, the metal content of vacuum residues could be substantially reduced by using a selective organic solvent such as pentane or hexane, which separates the residue into an oil (with a low metal and asphaltene content) and asphalt (with high metal content). Demetallized oils could be processed by direct hydrocatalysis. 

The three isomers constituting n-hutenes are 1-hutene, cis-2-hutene, and trans-2-hutene. This gas mixture is usually obtained from the olefinic C4 fraction of catalytic cracking and steam cracking processes after separation of isobutene (Chapter 2). The mixture of isomers may be used directly for reactions that are common for the three isomers and produce the same intermediates and hence the same products. Alternatively, the mixture may be separated into two streams, one constituted of 1-butene and the other of cis-and trans-2-butene mixture. Each stream produces specific chemicals. Approximately 70% of 1-butene is used as a comonomer with ethylene to produce linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE). Another use of 1-butene is for the synthesis of butylene oxide. The rest is used with the 2-butenes to produce other chemicals. n-Butene could also be isomerized to isobutene. ... 

See also Fluidized-bed entries Fluid-bed direct oxidation process, 10 656 Fluid-bed dryers, 9 122-123, 130-131 two-stage, 9 125 Fluid-bed roasters, 16 141 Fluid catalytic cracking (FCC), 11 678-699, 700-734 18 651, 653 20 777 24 257, 271. See also FCC entries Fluidized-bed catalytic cracking (FCC) clean fuels production and, 11 686-689 defined, 11 700... 

The isoprene monomer is not readily available from direct cracking processes. Several routes are employed for its synthesis. One route begins with the extraction of isoamylene fractions from catalytically cracked gasoline streams. Isoprene is produced by subsequent catalytic dehydrogenation. 

Some years later Statoil decided to start a project within catalytic cracking in order to learn more abont residue fluid catalytic cracking in general, and particnlarly abont catalysts suitable for this process. The project started as a prestudy for the residue fluid catalytic cracker unit (FCCU) that Statoil was planning to bnild at the Mongstad refinery in Norway. The intention was to crack North Sea atmospheric residue directly, without first using a vacuum gas distillation tower followed by cracking... 

The developers of new processes have found it at times more expedient to set up their own separate entities to supply the catalysts they were advocating. Allied-Signal s subsidiary UOP did so for its platforming Houdry for its catalytic cracking Ralph Landau for the silver catalyst used for direct ethylene oxidation, which was marketed by Halcon SD and subsequently taken over by Denka, then by Bayer and Phillips Chemical for its polyolefin catalysts, sold through its subsidiary, Catalyst Resources. 

The use of molecular sieve catalysts has also become more widespread in the past decade for the production and inter-conversion of olefins from feedstocks other than oxygenates. The addition of a modified ZSM-5 additive to the Y zeolite-based catalyst can substantially increase the amount of propylene produced in a conventional Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) unit. This has become a very valuable modification, particularly in areas where propylene supplies are tight. More recently, a number of processes have been announced for the direct cracking of C4+ olefinic steams to propylene. These processes also use modified ZSM-5 based... 

An alternative process based on two sequential catalytic cracking stages aimed at obtaining gasoline and diesel from waste plastics or heavy oil/waste plastics mixtures is shown in Figure 3.16 [99]. The catalyst employed in the first step is made up of powder alumina, waterglass and HZSM-5 zeolite and is mixed up directly with the waste plastics in a screw reactor preferably at 600-700°C. The second catalytic step consists in a fixed... 

Figure 3.16 Scheme of a process for the direct catalytic cracking of plastic wastes in two steps [99]... 

Another approach for overcoming the problems posed by conventional cracking catalysts has been disclosed recently by Reverse et al. [101]. In this case, direct cracking is performed by using as catalyst a molten bed of pure metal or a metal mixture (mainly lead, zinc, tin) at a temperature of 460-550°C wherein the waste polymer is loaded inside the reactor at a certain depth. The authors point out that the products are indeed a result of the combination of both thermal and catalytic cracking. The catalyst composition may also include some acidic component such as metal silicates, metal carbonates and their mixtures. The process can be applied to pure and mixed polymers (PE, PET, PP, PVC), as well as to the plastic fraction of municipal solid wastes. 

The problems in catalytic cracking of MWP by direct contact with the catalyst can be overcome by two-step processing. This method involves an initial thermal cracking of waste plastics to produce low-quality hydrocarbons (vapors or liquid) that are treated afterwards in a catalytic reactor to obtain high-quality liquid fuels. 

A full-scale pyrolysis-catalytic process in which the catalytic cracking zone is directly connected to the pyrolysis zone was developed in Japan (Fuji Process) [19]. In this process, after separation of PVC and impurities by wet techniques, waste plastics are thermally pretreated at 300°C for dechlorination and then introduced into the pyrolysis reactor and thermally cracked at 400°C. Subsequently, degradation products are fed directly to the fixed-bed reactor using a ZSM-5 catalyst. 

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