The production of light product from heavy vacuum gas oil using the FCC method in an inert atmosphere

One of the most important chemical conversion processes in petroleum refineries is hydrocracking, while the other is the catalytic cracking (FCC) process. By using these processes, heavy petroleum fractions can be converted into lighter and more usable products as fuels. Both processes occur in the presence of a catalyst and typically use similar catalysts. In this study, the aim was to convert HVGO, one of the heavy fractions of petroleum, into lighter components and usable products as fuels using the FCC method in a Continuous stirred batch reactor. Catalytic and non-catalytic cracking experiments were carried out under conditions of 325, 350, 375, 400 °C temperatures, initial nitrogen pressures of 0, 10, 15, 20, and 30 bar, and reaction times of 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes. To examine the effect of catalyst type in the catalytic cracking processes of HVGO, both commercial and synthesized catalysts were used. Catalyst concentrations of 0.1%, 0.5%, 1%, and 5% were applied. The stirring speed was kept constant at 200 rpm during the cracking experiments. According to the results obtained from cracking processes conducted under catalytic and non-catalytic conditions, the light product composition was obtained under the conditions of 25% MgO + 75% SiO2 catalyst type, 1% catalyst concentration, 400 °C reaction temperature, 120 minutes reaction time, and 0 bar initial nitrogen pressure. Light products (components with a carbon number of 22 and below) mainly consist of paraffinic (47.53%) and cycloalkanes (21.60%) components. In catalytic cracking processes, tetralin was selected as the solvent to determine the solvent effect, and cracking experiments were carried out with HVGO/solvent ratios of 1/1 and 1/3 by weight. Using tetralin as a solvent along with HVGO in catalytic cracking processes increases the proportion of aromatic compounds in the light product composition.