Capabilities in Catalytic

Cracking and FCC Catalysts

Center for Refining & Advanced Chemicals
KFUPM, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
FCC Lab - Bldg. 55

Phone: +966 13 860 2029 ; Email: crac@kfupm.edu.sa

 KFUPM Center for Refining & Advanced Chemicals - CRAC

CRAC MISSION ACHIEVEMENTS & CAPABILITIES

Projects Completed 80 client-funded research projects
▪ Maximize value of petroleum and hydrocarbons by converting
into to high-demand products Clients Aramco, Sabic, Honeywell UOP, Sinopec, Sipchem
▪ Develop energy catalysis and processes for downstream sector:
refining, petrochemicals & polymers Manpower 28 full-time researchers/staff, 30 affiliated faculty
▪ Convert waste plastics and CO2 to value-added chemicals Facilities 15 labs equipped with catalysis related equipment

PROGRAMS AND THEMES

Petrochemicals Polymers & Computational

Refining & Fuels Waste Recycling
& Chemicals Oligomers Kinetics

• Refining Processes: • Aromatization • Functionalized/ • Reactor models at • Waste Plastics

FCC, reforming, HDS, Metallocene molecular level Cracking/Pyrolysis:
hydrocracking, heavy
• Dehydrogenation Aromatics, Light
Polyolefins • Simulation and
oil upgrading • Adsorbents Olefins, Syngas, Fuels
• Formulation, modelling
• Clean fuels • Hydroformylation Extrusion, Blending, • Spent catalyst
• Oil to Chemicals • Carbonylation, • ML assisted recycling: metal
Crosslinking
carboxylation, design of catalysts recovery
• Oil to H2/Syngas • Ligands/Olefin
• Refinery upgrades Coupling, Oxidation Oligomerization
 KFUPM Center for Refining & Advanced Chemicals - CRAC

Research Facilities - CRAC

Catalyst Waste
Synthesis Spent Catalysts Plastics
Polymer &
Plastics, 3 Metal Recovery
Alkylation
Specialty 5 New
RI Bldg.
Chemical, Labs Petroleum
H2 2 & Fuel
10 Labs

Reaction Characterization, 2
Engineering,
3
Plus access to
major equipment
Fixed-Bed ACE/MAT
at Core Facility,
Units FCC Lab other academic
departments
Pilot Plant
Downer
 KFUPM Center for Refining & Advanced Chemicals - CRAC

Capabilities in Catalytic Cracking: FCC Lab

Units
Reaction Systems • Micro activity Test (MAT) Units
• Advanced Cracking Evaluation (ACE)
• Micro-flow Reactor
• Bench Top Reaction System
• Fixed-Bed flow reactor (Steam catalytic cracking)
• Pilot plant: Catalyst Circulating Downer (0.1 b/d)

Catalyst and Product • Steaming units (large and small)

characterization • Gas Chromatograph-simulated distillation (two)
• Refinery gas analyzer (three)
• Gas Chromatograph-PIONA (two)
• Carbon Analyzer
• Surface Area
Utilities • Air compressor/N2 generator for pilot plant (modified DCR)

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KFUPM Center for Refining & Advanced Chemicals - CRAC

Micro Activity Test Fixed bed Units

Csteam racking Unit

Feed weight injected About 1.0 g

Multiple of feed weight to
Catalyst weight achieve the catalyst-to-oil
ratioCarbon
(C/O) Analyzer
Feed injection time (TOS) 30 s
Feed syringe temperature Room temperature
Feed injector temperature 5 °C higher than reaction T
MAT Unit Liquid receiver temperature -9 °C
Catalyst/liquid stripping time
with receiver in cold bath and Total 16 min
cold bath removed

PIONA
 KFUPM Center for Refining & Advanced Chemicals - CRAC
Advanced Cracking Evaluation (ACE) Unit

• ACE-R+ is a fixed fluidized-bed test that assesses relative performance of FCC dried catalysts.
• Unit has uniform temperature and coke distribution.

Catalyst hoppers
Schematic Diagram
Advance
Catalyst Load:
Catalytic

Feed line
Min: 6 g

sweep
Max: 12g Evaluation
ACE Control GC Control
Catalyst
bed T Air operated

Stripping gas (N2)

valve
Top fluidization

Purge gas (N2)

P Product
Spent line filter Oil Micro GC
catalyst Feed

Gas sample to GC
receiver Feed pump
& syringe
DP
Vent

Fluidized Reactor
888888

converter
Catalytic
Max T: 650C Balance

Calib. gas

Flow Product gas receiver

88
Bottom meter Product liquid receivers
Min T: -15C

Cooling gas
fluidization (N2)
8888 Vent
Regeneration air
CO2 analyser
Note: Drawing not to scale
 KFUPM Center for Refining & Advanced Chemicals - CRAC

Fixed-Bed Flow Reactor (FBR) with Steam Feed Injection

Parameter Value

Catalyst weight, g (30-40 mesh) 1.0

Catalyst bed height, cm 2.0
Reactor Length/ID, inch 16/0.5
Water flowrate, g/h 1.0
Oil flowrate, g/h 2.0
Nitrogen flowrate, l/h 3.9
Preheater temperature, °C 250
Steam/oil ratio, g/g 0.5
Reactor temperature, oC 675
Residence Time, sec 10
TOS, h 5

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 KFUPM Center for Refining & Advanced Chemicals - CRAC

Catalyst Circulation Downer Pilot Plant (Modified DCR)

• Designed for testing fluidized catalysts and additives at high severity operating conditions.
Catalyst
• Licensed from Grace based on DCR operation and manufactured by Xytel with a capacity of

Regenerated Catalyst
Hopper
Oil Feed

0.1 b/d of feed. Flue Gas

• Covers a wide range of operating conditions and operates under pressure balance mode. Fresh
Dispersion
Steam Down Flow
Catalyst Reactor
Used in HS-FCC process development

Cracked Oil Product

Gas
• Main units include reactor, stripper, regenerator, and catalyst hopper. Product

Spent Catalyst
Product
Parameter Description Regenerator Stripper
Stabilizer
Reactor outlet temperature 650 C max Regeneration
Air
Dispersion steam temperature 150- 300 C Stripping Liquid
Water flow rate 0.5- 3.0 ml/min Steam Product

Regenerator temperature 750 C maximum

Stripper temperature 520C
Stripping steam temperature 350C
Stripping water flow rate 1- 5 cc/min
Feed flow rate Up to 1.5 kg/h
Feed line temperature Up to 300 C
Catalyst circulation rate 10- 45 kg/h
Catalyst temp. reactor inlet 720 C maximum
Catalyst inventory 7- 10 liters (6 - 8 kg)
Feed Conradson Carbon < 5% maximum
 KFUPM Center for Refining & Advanced Chemicals - CRAC

Catalyst Steaming and Analytical

Small Steaming Unit

Refinery Gas Analyzers ( FID & TCD GCs)

Carbon Analyzer
Steaming Unit Control Small Steaming Unit – 6 reactors Large Steaming Unit

MAT Unit

Micro-Refinery Gas Analyzers ( FID & TCD GCs)

Large Steaming Unit
Shimadzu SimDist Shimadzu DHA Horiba Carbon Analyzer Surface Area Analyzer
 KFUPM Center for Refining & Advanced Chemicals - CRAC

Commercialized Technology: Process for Heavy Oil Cracking

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KFUPM Center for Refining & Advanced Chemicals - CRAC

For more information:

Center for Refining & Advanced Chemicals

KFUPM, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia

• Phone: +966 13 860 2029

• Email: crac@kfupm.edu.sa
• https://ri.kfupm.edu.sa/Research-Centers.html

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