CHAPTER 2

FLUI
D
CATALYTIC
CRACKING
 What is FCC????
.
• Process that “cracks "high molecular weight
hydrocarbons to lower molecular weight

• Fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) plants are used to

convert heavy distillates into lighter ones like
gasoline.

• The FCC process vaporizes and breaks the long

chain molecules of the high-boiling
hydrocarbon into much shorter molecules by
contacting the feedstock, initial boiling point of
340 °Celsius (C) or higher at atmospheric
pressure, with a fluidized powdered catalyst
What is fluidized bed concept??

• A fluidized bed is formed when a

quantity of a solid particulate
substance is placed under appropriate
conditions to cause the solid/fluid
mixture to behave as a fluid
 Why do FCC process
• is a chemical Crack higher molecular weight
process that uses hydrocarbon to low
a catalyst to create molecular weight
new, smaller hydrocarbon
molecules

To correct the imbalance between

the market demand for gasoline
and the excess of heavy, high
boiling range products resulting
from the distillation of crude oil.
 THERMAL

CRACKING
CRACKING

FLUID CATALYTIC
CRACKING
produce more gasoline
 Fluid Catalytic Cracking
• The modern FCC units are all continuous processes
which operate 24 hours a day for as long as 2 to 3
years
2 design
"stacked" type where the
reactor and the catalyst
regenerator are contained in a
single vessel with the reactor
above the catalyst
regenerator
"side-by-side" type where
the reactor and catalyst
regenerator are in two
separate vessels
FCC PROCESSING
1. Feedstock fed into the bottom of the
riser tube where it meets very hot
regenerated catalyst. (+steam 816 °C)

Feed vaporize and drive the catalyst and

hydrocarbon mix up the riser. The mixture
is a seething fluidized bed in which the
solid particles flow like liquid

The feedstock (535 °C )is cracked as it

passes up the riser. Only takes about 2-4
sec to flow from the bottom to the top of
the riser and the catalytically selective
cracking occurs during this time.

The reaction are endothermic.

2. On the top of the riser- the mixture
enters a riser termination device
where separation of catalyst and
products occur. The catalyst falls to
the bottom of the reactor.

Product leave the top of reactor to

the fractionator

Fractionator-separate the
effluent based on different
boiling point
 Coke(catalyst)

3.One of the products from

cracking is a coke that forms on
the catalyst surface. This
poisons the acid sites on the
catalyst so that it eventually
becomes inactive

To reactive the catalyst, needs

to be generated to remove this
coke
4. The separated catalyst
enters a combustion chamber
where mixed with
superheated blown air. It takes
up to 200tonnes per hour of
air to burn the coke off the
catalyst

Energy released from the

burning coke heats up the
catalyst and this heat is
supplied back to the bottom
of the riser for cracking of the
feedstock by circulating of
the regenerated catalyst

Combustion of coke is
exothermic
5.At the top of regenerator
cyclones separate any
remaining catalyst from the
flue gases

6.Regenerated catalyst
fluidized with steam and the
flows back to the riser where
it passes energy to the
incoming feedstock so that
cracking can occur without
additional heating
Depend on the size of
unit~20- 100tons/min of
catalyst are recirculating in
the system

Flue gas=CO2, CO and air

A spent catalyst is withdrawn It is desirable to
from the bottom of reactors separate the
and stripped with steam to vapor and catalyst
vaporize the hydrocarbons
products
as quickly as
remaining on the surface. possible to
Stripping removes most of the prevent
HC vapors which are overcracking of
entrained between the the desired
particles of catalyst product

The vapor generated by the

cracking process lifts the catalyst Temp:650-760 °C
up the riser. Cok
Vapor velocity at the base of the cat ed
aly
riser is about 6 m/s and increases st
to over 20 m/s at the riser exit

Temp:493-554 °C

ated
n er
ge
Catalyst Re alyst
+ hydrocarbon vapor cat
 FCC process……
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7-Dkw_BuKY
FCC chemistry process….
 Catalyst Used
• The desirable properties of an FCC catalyst are:

– High activity
– Good stability to high temperature and to steam
– Large pore sizes
– Good resistance to attrition
– Low coke production

• Fine powders with a bulk density of 0.80 to 0.96

g/cm3and an average particle size of 60 to 100 μm

• A modern FCC catalyst has four major components:

crystalline zeolite, matrix, binder, and filler. Zeolite is the
primary active component and can range from about 15 to
50 weight percent of the catalyst
Final product from FCC process…..

• Gas fraction(mainly
C3/C4)
• Liquid fraction
• Coke(solid formation
on the catalyst)
Inlet of FCC
process…
????????