Catalytic Cracking of Cumene in a Riser Simulator

Manuscript for the special IECR issue CREVIII conference held in Barga, Italy on June 24-29, 2001 Catalytic Cracking of Cumene in a Riser Simulator A catalyst activity decay model S.Al-Khattaf (2) and H. de Lasa (1.*) (1) Chemical Reactor Engineering Centre, Faculty of Engineering Science, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B9 (2) Department of Chemical Engineering, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia. (*) Corresponding author Abstract The present study reports the catalytic cracking of cumene using a novel CREC Riser Simulator. Two sizes of zeolite crystals (0.4 and 0.9 μm) are employed in the experiments. The goal is to develop and test, under relevant reaction conditions for FCC (temperature, contact time, reactant partial pressure, catalyst /oil ratio), a new catalytic activity decay model based on “reactant conversion”. Kinetic and decay model parameters are estimated using regression analysis. Activation energies, deactivation constants, and Arrenhius pre-exponential constants are calculated with their respective confidence intervals. The lack of transport constrains of cumene molecules, while evolving inside the zeolites, is confirmed evaluating a modified Thiele modulus and effectiveness factors.