OLEFINS PRODUCTION - TVK

Characteristics of steam cracking15What is steam cracking?Steam cracking is a pyrolysis processA hydrocarbon mixture is heated in metal tubes inside afurnace in the presence of steam to a temperature atwhich the hydrocarbon molecules thermally decomposesFor ethane the primary reaction is dehydrogenationC2H6 → H2C=CH2 + H2Other free radical reactions also occur– Cracking and dehydrogenation of longer molecules resulting inhydrogen, methane, ethylene, propylene, butadiene and heavier– Continued dehydrogenation to form acetylene, aromatics andcokeThese reactions require a residence time of less thanone second and are endothermic16