Chemical Industry Processes and Catalysts Quiz

Chemical Industry Processes and Catalysts

• Methanol is primarily used for the production of formaldehyde in the chemical industry
• SiO2-Al2O3 catalysts were primarily used in the cracking process practiced 5-6 decades ago, which has been shifted to modern zeolite catalysts
• The main purpose of the fluidized catalytic cracking (FCC) process is to convert gas oil into gasoline by breaking down large petroleum molecules into smaller hydrocarbons
• ZSM-5 is a zeolite catalyst used in the FCC process to increase the selectivity and yield of desired products
• Aromatic hydrogenation is not a typical reaction in Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC)
• The main cause of FCC catalyst deactivation is coke and tar formation
• In a two-stage FCC process, the first stage operates at high temperature and short residence time, while the second stage operates at low temperature and long residence time
• The ICI process for methanol production offers advantages such as reduced compression power, longer catalyst life, and larger capacity with single train converter designs, resulting in increased productivity
• The Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) synthesis process can use natural gas (NG) as one of the feedstocks, along with coal and biomass
• The Sabatier reaction led to BASF's Co-catalyzed liquid HC synthesis at severe conditions, which was a significant step in the development of the Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) synthesis process
• The 4 steps involved in the Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) synthesis process are: 1) Production of syngas, 2) Syngas purification, 3) FTS, and 4) Separation and upgrading of products

Catalytic Processes in Petroleum Refining

• Pt or Pd supported on shape-selective zeolites, such as Faujasite, Modernite, and ZSM-5, are commonly used as catalysts for producing gasoline from S and N-free feeds.
• Injection of cold high pressure H2 between the fixed bed reactors in the hydrocracking process is to cool the product stream.
• Pt or Pt-Re supported on g-Al2O3 with a BET area of 200 m2/g is typically used as a catalyst for naphtha reforming.
• Hydrocracking is a process that combines cracking and hydrogenation to selectively crack polyaromatics to gasoline, diesel fuel, and jet fuel.
• The high pressure of hydrogen (80 - 200 atm) in hydrocracking causes high consumption of hydrogen and energy.
• Hydrocracking is typically processed in the temperature range of 290 - 525 °C.
• The presence of acid sites and metal sites in the catalyst helps in enhancing the selectivity of the reforming reactions.
• The main purposes of hydrocracking and catalytic reforming are to reduce the sulfur content in the feedstock and to convert heavy hydrocarbons into lighter, more valuable products such as gasoline.
• To minimize the formation of light gases and maximize the production of gasoline, suitable desulfurization and denitrification processes need to be implemented.
• The base metal oxides of Co, Mo, Ni or W are commonly used as catalysts for producing lubricants, diesel, and middle or heavy distillates.
• The primary purpose of naphtha reforming is to increase the octane number of the naphtha cut.
• The typical catalyst used for naphtha reforming is Pt or Pt-Re supported on g-Al2O3.