The Addition of ZSM-5 to a Fluid Catalytic Cracking Catalyst for Increasing Olefins in Fluid Catalytic Cracking Light Gas

Abstract

The second largest source of propylene supplied for petrochemical application is from fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) units. The primary function of the FCC unit has typically been to produce gasoline. However, refiners have been taking advantage of opportunity to produce and recover more propylene from their FCC unit by increasing reaction severity via riser temperature, adding shape selective catalyst, and installing a propylene recovery unit (PRU). At a conventional FCC process propylene exists in the off gas of FCC and it is about 6 wt% of off gas by changing the FCC process parameter quantity of propylene in off gas can be more than 20 wt% by using ZSM-5 additives and increasing temperature The effects of operating parameters, such as reaction temperature, and ZSM-5 as FCC catalyst additive, on the distribution of the product and the yield of propylene were investigated on a bench-scale fluidized bed reactor. It is the aim of this work to perform an overall analysis of the yields and selectivity of hydrocarbons obtained in the vacuum gas-oil conversion over FCC and ZSM-5 catalysts. The effectiveness of ZSM-5 additive in the FCC process was investigated by doing experimental work in a bench-scale setup. The experiment data of off gas analysis showed that vacuum gas oil cracking at high reaction temperatures of 450–550°C increases the yield of propylene. Similar behavior is observed with the addition of 10–25 wt% ZSM-5 additive. The combination of the two effects (high temperature and ZSM-5 addition) makes the FCC unit an excellent source of light olefins for downstream petrochemical units. Higher FCC reactor temperatures (600–650°C) would not have positive effects for increasing propylene yield.