Evaluation of deasphalted heavy oil residues as catalytic cracking feed using a riser kinetic model

A novel fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit simulator is used to compare the performance of solvent deasphalted heavy oil residues with that of conventional gas oils, under commercial heat balanced unit operating conditions. The simulations are based on rate constants for cracking, gasoline formation and catalyst activity decay derived from laboratory measurements made with a small volume fixed bed reactor. Results from the simulations confirm the acceptability of deasphalted residues as FCC feeds, subject to defined modification of the unit operating conditions.