Effect of Catalytic Cracking on the Postwar Supply of Motor Gasolines and Distillate and Residual Fuels

Abstract

Abstract In order to supply the immense quantities of 100-octane aviation gasolinerequired by the military program and to furnish stocks for the manufacture ofsynthetic rubber, the oil industry installed catalytic cracking on a largescale during the war, because none of the existing processes were adapted tothe manufacture of these products in the quantities required, from a limitedamount of crude. While it had been recognized for some time that this process wouldeventually be widely used in the oil industry, under ordinary conditions theinstallation would have been spread over a number of years through thereplacement of old equipment and as enlargements were required. However, under the urgency of the war demand, its adoption was imperativeand the industry was forced to make a major change in its equipment before ithad had a chance to become familiar with the effect of the process whenoperating for the usual peacetime products. Because of the peculiar features ofcatalytic cracking, there was considerable speculation among refiners and usersof petroleum products regarding the results it would have on the postwar supplyof motor gasoline, household heating oil and diesel and residual fuel. Thestudy reported in the following paper was made to determine the direction ofthe changes and to evaluate their possible extent. Status of Catalytic Cracking Prior to our entering the war, only one of the three catalytic crackingprocesses with which the industry is now familiar was in commercial operation, and the installations of this one were confined very largely to the twocompanies that were instrumental in its development. In fact, if it had notbeen for the war, it seems likely that the adoption of catalytic cracking forthe manufacture of motor fuel would have been gradual, because very markedeconomies are needed to justify scrapping any process of which the design isfairly modern and the equipment in good condition. However, when it became evident that large quantities of aviation gasolineof 100 octane and above would be required, the economics with respect tomanufacture of motor fuel were disregarded and catalytic units were installedon a large scale, because, by a happy coincidence, they provided, in quantity, both a base gasoline for blending with high-octane components and gasessuitable for charging stocks to alkylation and other processes for theproduction of these components. These gases also provided material for theproduction of synthetic rubber, giving further impetus to the building of thistype of equipment. T.P. 1731