Kinetics and Selectivity of Asphaltene Thermal Cracking, Thermal Hydrocracking, and Catalytic Hydrocracking

Petroleum Science and Technology, Volume 29, Issue 21, 2011, pages 2269-2281
Kinetics and Selectivity of Asphaltene Thermal Cracking, Thermal Hydrocracking, and Catalytic Hydrocracking
S. Zhang (a), Y. Zhao (a) & F. Wei (a)
a Ningbo Institute of Technology, Zhejiang University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, P. R. China
Abstract
Describes the results of a pentane-insoluble asphaltene, processed by thermal cracking, thermal hydrocracking, and catalytic hydrocracking in a microbatch reactor at 430°C. The experimental data of asphaltene conversion fit second-order kinetics adequately to give the apparent rate constants of 1.704 × 10-2, 2.435 × 10-2, and 9.360 × 10-2 wt frac-1 min-1 for the above three cracking processes, respectively.
Proposes a three-lump kinetic model, solved to obtain rate constants of parallel reactions of asphaltenes to produce liquid oil (k1) and gas + coke (k3) and a consecutive reaction from liquid to gas + coke (k2).
Analysis of selectivity shows that the catalytic hydrocracking process provides the highest liquid production, and the coking process provides the highest coke formation, as expected. An induction period of coke formation was found to increase from thermal cracking to thermal hydrocracking to catalytic hydrocracking process.
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