Catalytic gas oil

Nos. 1 and 2 distillate fuels cut from catalytic gas oils are lower in both gravity and aniline point than corresponding virgin stock fuels. But the catalytic fuels have been used satisfactorily in atomizing pressure-type oil burners. 

We have evaluated several molecular sieves for the separation of 2,6-DMN from 2,7-DMN in the presence of liquid isomers present in a 257°-265 °C heart-cut of an aromatic extract of catalytic gas oil. This heart-cut contains ... 

Catalytic gas oils are also inferior to virgin gas oils as charge stocks to catalytic cracking (51). The quality can be improved by hydrogenation or extraction these upgrading processes are not generally used at present... 

Higher cracking temperatures result in higher concentrations of sulfur in the gasoline and catalytic gas oil, and less sulfur in the gaseous product (163,314). 

The gas oil cut from catalytic cracking called Light Cycle Oil (LCO), is characterized by a very low cetane number (about 20), high contents in aromatics, sulfur and nitrogen, all of which strongly limit its addition to the diesel fuel pool to a maximum of 5 to 10%. 

For example, in the case of light Arabian crude (Table 8.16), the sulfur content of the heavy gasoline, a potential feedstock for a catalytic reforming unit, is of 0.036 weight per cent while the maximum permissible sulfur content for maintaining catalyst service life is 1 ppm. It is therefore necessary to plan for a desulfurization pretreatment unit. Likewise, the sulfur content of the gas oil cut is 1.39% while the finished diesel motor fuel specification has been set for a maximum limit of 0.2% and 0.05% in 1996 (French specifications). 

The conversion products, other than gas and hydrogen sulfide (H2S), are essentially a gasoline fraction that, after pretreatment, will be converted by catalytic reforming an average quality distillate fraction to be sent to the gas oil pool and an atmospheric residue or vacuum distillate and vacuum residue whose properties and impurity levels (S, N, Conr. 

For gas oil from catalytic cracking (LCO), reducing the aromatics content to 20 wt. % results in a chemical hydrogen consumption of 3.4 wt % and a cetane number of 40. 

Catalytic Processes. A second group of refining operations which contribute to gas production are the catalytic cracking processes, such as fluid-bed catalytic cracking, and other variants, in which heavy gas oils are converted into gas, naphthas, fuel oil, and coke (5). 

Gas oil is a product hoiling slightly higher (235—425°C, or sometimes wider) than kerosene. The main feedstock to the catalytic cracking units (see Feedstocks), it received its name from use as an enriching agent in the production of city or manufactured gas. It is often used as diesel fuel. 

Cycle stock (recycle stock) denotes any product that is recycled, that is, taken back to an earlier stage in the process. The term cycle stock is also used for the gas oil-like product of catalytic cracking. 

As is indicated in Figure 4, saturates contribute less to the vacuum gas oil (VGO) than the aromatics, but more than the polars present at percentage, rather than trace, levels. VGO itself is occasionally used as a heating oil but most commonly it is processed by catalytic cracking to produce naphtha or by extraction to yield lubricant oils. 

Benzene, toluene, and xylene are made mosdy from catalytic reforming of naphthas with units similar to those already discussed. As a gross mixture, these aromatics are the backbone of gasoline blending for high octane numbers. However, there are many chemicals derived from these same aromatics thus many aromatic petrochemicals have their beginning by selective extraction from naphtha or gas—oil reformate. Benzene and cyclohexane are responsible for products such as nylon and polyester fibers, polystyrene, epoxy resins (qv), phenolic resins (qv), and polyurethanes (see Fibers Styrene plastics Urethane POLYiffiRs). 

Xylenes. The main appHcation of xylene isomers, primarily p- and 0-xylenes, is in the manufacture of plasticizers and polyester fibers and resins. Demands for xylene isomers and other aromatics such as benzene have steadily been increasing over the last two decades. The major source of xylenes is the catalytic reforming of naphtha and the pyrolysis of naphtha and gas oils. A significant amount of toluene and Cg aromatics, which have lower petrochemical value, is also produced by these processes. More valuable p- or 0-xylene isomers can be manufactured from these low value aromatics in a process complex consisting of transalkylation, eg, the Tatoray process and Mobil s toluene disproportionation (M lDP) and selective toluene disproportionation (MSTDP) processes isomerization, eg, the UOP Isomar process (88) and Mobil s high temperature isomerization (MHTI), low pressure isomerization (MLPI), and vapor-phase isomerization (MVPI) processes (89) and xylene isomer separation, eg, the UOP Parex process (90). 

Refinery Production. Refinery propylene is formed as a by-product of fluid catalytic cracking of gas oils and, to a far lesser extent, of thermal processes, eg, coking. The total amount of propylene produced depends on the mix of these processes and the specific refinery product slate. For example, in the United States, refiners have maximized gasoline production. This results in a higher level of propylene production than in Europe, where proportionally more heating oil is produced. 

In fluid catalytic cracking, a partially vaporized gas oil is contacted with zeoflte catalyst (see Fluidization). Contact time varies from 5 s—2 min pressure usually is in the range of 250—400 kPa (2.5—4 atm), depending on the design of the unit reaction temperatures are 720—850 K (see BuTYLENEs). 

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