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[[Image:FCC.jpg|right|thumb|250px|{{#ifexist:Template:FCC.jpg/credit|{{FCC.jpg/credit}}<br/>|}}Fluid Catalytic Cracker (from left to right: Distillation column, Reactor and Regenerator)]]  
[[Image:FCC.jpg|right|thumb|250px|{{#ifexist:Template:FCC.jpg/credit|{{FCC.jpg/credit}}<br/>|}}Fluid Catalytic Cracker (from left to right: Distillation column, Reactor and Regenerator)]]  


The '''fluid catalytic cracker''' (FCC) is the most important conversion process unit used in petroleum refineries. It is widely used to convert the high-boiling hydrocarbon fuel oils in petroleum crude oils to more valuable gasoline, olefinic gases and other products.<ref name=Gary>{{cite book|author=James H. Gary and Glenn E. Handwerk|title=Petroleum Refining: Technology and Economics|edition=4th Edition|publisher=CRC Press|year=2001|id=ISBN 0-8247-0482-7}}</ref><ref name=Speight>{{cite book|author=James. G. Speight|title=The Chemistry and Technology of Petroleum|edition=4th Edition|publisher=CRC Press|year=2006|id=ISBN 0-8493-9067-2}}</ref><ref name=Reza>{{cite book|author=Reza Sadeghbeigi|title=Fluid Catalytic Cracking Handbook|edition=2nd Edition|publisher=Gulf Publishing|year=2000|id=0-88415-289-8}}</ref> The feedstock to an FCC is usually that portion of the crude oil that has an initial boiling point of 330 °C or higher at atmospheric pressure. The FCC process vaporizes and breaks the long-chain molecules of the high-boiling hydrocarbon liquids into much shorter molecules by contacting the feedstock, at a moderate pressure, with a very hot powdered catalyst.
The '''fluid catalytic cracker''' (FCC) is the most important conversion process unit used in petroleum refineries. It is widely used to convert the high-boiling hydrocarbon portions of petroleum crude oils to more valuable gasoline, olefinic gases and other products.<ref name=Gary>{{cite book|author=James H. Gary and Glenn E. Handwerk|title=Petroleum Refining: Technology and Economics|edition=4th Edition|publisher=CRC Press|year=2001|id=ISBN 0-8247-0482-7}}</ref><ref name=Speight>{{cite book|author=James. G. Speight|title=The Chemistry and Technology of Petroleum|edition=4th Edition|publisher=CRC Press|year=2006|id=ISBN 0-8493-9067-2}}</ref><ref name=Reza>{{cite book|author=Reza Sadeghbeigi|title=Fluid Catalytic Cracking Handbook|edition=2nd Edition|publisher=Gulf Publishing|year=2000|id=0-88415-289-8}}</ref> The feedstock to an FCC is usually that portion of the crude oil that has an initial boiling point of 330 °C or higher at atmospheric pressure. The FCC process vaporizes and breaks the long-chain molecules of the high-boiling hydrocarbon liquids into much shorter molecules by contacting the feedstock, at a moderate pressure, with a very hot powdered catalyst.


In effect, refineries use fluid catalytic cracking 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.  
In effect, refineries use fluid catalytic cracking 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.  

Revision as of 14:25, 24 April 2008

(CC) Photo: Valero Energy Corporation
Fluid Catalytic Cracker (from left to right: Distillation column, Reactor and Regenerator)

The fluid catalytic cracker (FCC) is the most important conversion process unit used in petroleum refineries. It is widely used to convert the high-boiling hydrocarbon portions of petroleum crude oils to more valuable gasoline, olefinic gases and other products.[1][2][3] The feedstock to an FCC is usually that portion of the crude oil that has an initial boiling point of 330 °C or higher at atmospheric pressure. The FCC process vaporizes and breaks the long-chain molecules of the high-boiling hydrocarbon liquids into much shorter molecules by contacting the feedstock, at a moderate pressure, with a very hot powdered catalyst.

In effect, refineries use fluid catalytic cracking 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.

As of 2006, FCC units were in operation at 400 petroleum refineries worldwide and about one-third of the crude oil refined in those refineries is processed in an FCC to produce high-octane gasoline, diesel oil and fuel oil.[2][4] During 2007, the FCC units in the United States processed a total of 834,300,000 litres per day of feedstock[5] and FCC units worldwide processed about twice that amount.

Flow diagram and process description

(PD) Image: Milton Beychok
A schematic flow diagram of a Fluid Catalytic Cracking unit as used in petroleum refineries

Chemistry

(PD) Image: Milton Beychok
The chemistry of catalytic cracking of petroleum hydrocarbons

Catalysts

History

References

  1. James H. Gary and Glenn E. Handwerk (2001). Petroleum Refining: Technology and Economics, 4th Edition. CRC Press. ISBN 0-8247-0482-7. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 James. G. Speight (2006). The Chemistry and Technology of Petroleum, 4th Edition. CRC Press. ISBN 0-8493-9067-2. 
  3. Reza Sadeghbeigi (2000). Fluid Catalytic Cracking Handbook, 2nd Edition. Gulf Publishing. 0-88415-289-8. 
  4. David S.J. Jones and Peter P.Pujado (Editors) (2006). Handbook of Petroleum Processing, First Edition. Springer. ISBN 1-4020-2819-9. 
  5. U.S. Downstream Processing of Fresh Feed Input by Catalytic Cracking Units (Energy Information Administration, U.S. Dept. of Energy)