A New Downstream Process Design for a Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit to Raise Propylene Yield and Decrease Gasoline Olefin Content

Petroleum Science and Technology, Volume 29, Issue 24, 2011, pages 2601-2612
A New Downstream Process Design for a Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit to Raise Propylene Yield and Decrease Gasoline Olefin Content
X. Li^ab, G. Li^a, Z. Xu^c & H. Sui^ab
Abstract
Authors determined that the root cause of high gasoline olefin content and low propylene yield was low C₅ and C₆ olefin content of crude light gasoline.
Their findings were based on the paraffins, olefins, naphthenes, aromatics (PONA) composition of crude light gasoline, crude heavy gasoline, stabilized gasoline, and wet gas of a pilot plant fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit, They presented a new design for the main fractionater and absorber–stripper–stabilizer to obtain stabilized light gasoline that contains more C₅ and C₆ olefins recracked in the secondary riser. Industrial studies on the revamped unit revealed a dramatic decrease in gasoline olefin content. At the same time, octane number (RON) was preserved.
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