Fluid Catalytic Cracking

Abstract

In the United States, approximately one-third of all processed crude oil, amounting to about 5 x 106 bbl/day, is catalytically converted over fluidized catalysts. Over 500 tons of catalyst are required daily, yielding sales that in 1987 were estimated at ~250 million dollars (1). Thus, in terms of catalyst usage and product value, catalytic cracking is still the most important unit operation of the petroleum-refining industry. This year, the worldwide sales of catalysts to the petroleum, petrochemical, and chemical industry are expected to exceed 2.4 billion dollars, and catalyst producers are preparing themselves for the turn of the century when catalysts are projected to become a 5 billion dollars per year global business (2).