Nanoporous materials forge a path forward to enable sustainable growth: Technology advancements in fluid catalytic cracking

An overview is presented on the central role that zeolites and other nanoporous materials currently play in the Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) process as well as how this role evolved over the course of the years since its inception. Today, utilization in FCC constitutes the vast majority of global zeolite catalyst consumption by volume. FCC is the main conversion process in a typical fuels refinery, and as the most critical ingredient of the catalyst, zeolites are responsible for producing majority of the gasoline used around the world as well as taking an important role in the production of other transportation fuels (e.g., diesel, jet fuel) and building blocks for the petrochemical industry (e.g., propylene, butylenes). Therefore, it can be stated that zeolite catalysts fuel our industrialized society and provide the building blocks for its advancement; consequently, zeolites have a direct impact on the future of the global economy and its sustainability. Strategies that involve zeolites and other nanoporous materials for improving performance of FCC operation and ensuring its environmental sustainability were reviewed. Zeolite modifications were examined with each leading to an improvement in zeolite stability under severe conditions in an FCC unit. The importance of diffusion pathways within an FCC catalyst particle, leading to higher accessibility of the active zeolite sites, were explored, and the importance of a well-designed catalyst architecture, allowing FCC feed, intermediates, and final products to diffuse freely in and out of the catalyst particle were discussed. The role of contaminant metals in FCC was investigated, and some mitigation strategies for the most common FCC contaminants, nickel and vanadium, were presented. The impact of contaminant iron was discussed alongside catalyst architecture, particularly surface porosity of the catalyst particle. Utilization of other nanoporous materials in FCC, especially as environmental additives, was summarized. Testing considerations were screened with an emphasis on matching laboratory deactivation to refinery FCC observations.