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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Effects of Reaction Temperature and Catalyst Type on Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) of Crude Oil Feeds: A Microactivity Test Unit Study
1
Chemical Engineering, KFUPM, Saudi Arabia
2
Interdisciplinary Research Center for Refining and Advanced Chemicals, KFUPM, Saudi Arabia
Submission date: 2025-02-25
Final revision date: 2025-06-08
Acceptance date: 2025-07-07
Publication date: 2025-08-19
Journal of Undergraduate Research International 2025;1(1):28-34
KEYWORDS
conversion efficiencyexperimentationFluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC)Crude Oil ConversionMicro Activity Test Unit (MAT Unit)products’ distributioncatalyst longevity
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
This study investigates the effects of temperature and catalyst on fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) of crude oil feed using a Micro Activity Test (MAT) unit. The basic goal of the research was to explore the variations in reaction conditions that cause changes in resulting products’ distribution, specifically, gas, liquid, and coke yields of paraffinic feeds. A fixed-bed MAT setup featuring a precise setting of temperature and catalyst-to-oil ratio (CAT/OIL) was used. The method of experimentation included gas chromatography, simulated distillation, and carbon analysis to analyze the production of products, their composition, and yield. It was found that higher temperatures and CAT/OIL ratios led to the increase in overall conversion, also they fostered the formation of light olefins like ethylene and propylene. The results revealed the need to optimize FCC parameters to juggle without the loss of conversion efficiency, product selectivity, and catalyst longevity. This study is the impetus for improving FCC operation.
ABBREVIATIONS
Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. Abdullah Aitani, for his guidance, support, and valuable insights throughout this research. I am also grateful to the Center for Refining and Advanced Chemicals at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) for providing access to the resources and equipment that supported the successful completion of this research. I also appreciate the support provided by the Undergraduate Research Office (URO) under the Uxplore program, which played a crucial role in facilitating this study.
FUNDING
The support provided by KFUPM Center for Refining and Advanced Chemicals is appreciated.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors report no conflicts of interest.
PEER REVIEW INFORMATION
Article has been screened for originality
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