Catalytic cracking was truly revolutionized in the early 1960s with the advent of
zeolite-containing fluid cracking catalysts. Catalyst activities were raised by an order
of magnitude and units needed to be redesigned to take full advantage of the new
catalyst technology. These design changes included the elimination of reactor dense
beds and the use of the feed riser as the sole conversion vessel. Recycle was greatly
reduced and replaced with more fresh feed. It was found that coke left on the
regenerated catalyst impaired the catalyst’s activity and selectivity, and the average
carbons on regenerated catalyst were reduced from 0.3–0.5 to 0.1 wt% or less.
Complete CO combustion in the regenerator was introduced to provide the needed
regenerator burning conditions which necessitated higher regenerator temperatures.
Alloy internals replaced the carbon steel and chrome-moly hardware in the regenerator
and the regenerated catalyst standpipe. Catalyst inventories were minimized due to the
favorable coke burning kinetics and modifications in the regenerator design (1970s).
Table 1 Evolution of fluid
catalytic crackers
Commercial fluid catalytic crackers
1942
Model I upflow
1943
Model II downflow
1945
Sinclair design
1947
Model II side by side
1951
Kellogg orthoflow A
1952
Exxon model IV
1953
Kellogg orthoflow B
1955
Shell two-stage reactor
1956
UOP straight riser (SBS)
1958
Exxon riser cracker
1961
HOC cracker (Phillips)
1962
Kellogg orthoflow C
1967
Texaco design
1971
Gulf FCC process
1972
Exxon flexicracker
1972
Amoco ultracracking
1973
UOP high-efficiency design
1973
Kellogg orthoflow F
1981
Total petroleum resid cracker
1982
Ashland/UOP RCC unit
1985
IFP R2R
1990
Kellogg/Mobil HOC
1991
Deep catalytic cracking (RIPP and Stone & Webster)
1993
Exxon flexicracker III
1995
MSCC UOP/Coastal
2005
Superflex Kellogg
2007
PetroFCC UOP
2010
Catalytic pyrolysis process (Sinopec)
2011
ACO Advanced catalytic olefins (SK Korea)
2011
HS-FCC Nippon/Aramco
Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) in Petroleum Refining
263
zeolite-containing fluid cracking catalysts. Catalyst activities were raised by an order
of magnitude and units needed to be redesigned to take full advantage of the new
catalyst technology. These design changes included the elimination of reactor dense
beds and the use of the feed riser as the sole conversion vessel. Recycle was greatly
reduced and replaced with more fresh feed. It was found that coke left on the
regenerated catalyst impaired the catalyst’s activity and selectivity, and the average
carbons on regenerated catalyst were reduced from 0.3–0.5 to 0.1 wt% or less.
Complete CO combustion in the regenerator was introduced to provide the needed
regenerator burning conditions which necessitated higher regenerator temperatures.
Alloy internals replaced the carbon steel and chrome-moly hardware in the regenerator
and the regenerated catalyst standpipe. Catalyst inventories were minimized due to the
favorable coke burning kinetics and modifications in the regenerator design (1970s).
Table 1 Evolution of fluid
catalytic crackers
Commercial fluid catalytic crackers
1942
Model I upflow
1943
Model II downflow
1945
Sinclair design
1947
Model II side by side
1951
Kellogg orthoflow A
1952
Exxon model IV
1953
Kellogg orthoflow B
1955
Shell two-stage reactor
1956
UOP straight riser (SBS)
1958
Exxon riser cracker
1961
HOC cracker (Phillips)
1962
Kellogg orthoflow C
1967
Texaco design
1971
Gulf FCC process
1972
Exxon flexicracker
1972
Amoco ultracracking
1973
UOP high-efficiency design
1973
Kellogg orthoflow F
1981
Total petroleum resid cracker
1982
Ashland/UOP RCC unit
1985
IFP R2R
1990
Kellogg/Mobil HOC
1991
Deep catalytic cracking (RIPP and Stone & Webster)
1993
Exxon flexicracker III
1995
MSCC UOP/Coastal
2005
Superflex Kellogg
2007
PetroFCC UOP
2010
Catalytic pyrolysis process (Sinopec)
2011
ACO Advanced catalytic olefins (SK Korea)
2011
HS-FCC Nippon/Aramco
Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) in Petroleum Refining
263