Synthesis and Assessment of Y-Zeolite Catalyst for Direct Olefin Production from Heavy Feedstock: An Effect of Feed Composition

Zeolites are crystalline aluminosilicates with open-framework structures and have been widely used in refinery processes. One of the significant utilization processes is cracking heavy feedstocks into lighter fractions, which can be used as a feedstock for subsequent processes such as petrochemical applications. This work aimed to study the effect of the zeolite’s different Si/Al ratios on heavy crude cracking under different salt content conditions. The feedstock used for this study is a heavy hydrocarbon fraction contains a large amount of metal and salt. Two synthesized prototype catalysts were prepared and characterized by different physical–chemical methods (SEM–EDX, XRD, N₂ physisorption, TPD and TGA). Later the catalysts were mixed with the crudes in a 500 ml autoclave and the catalytic activities were performed in a batch reactor at a temperature of 380–450 °C, 150 rpm, and nitrogen pressure of 10 MPa. The reaction’s outlet gases were analysed directly in online Gas Chromatography (GC). The results showed a wide range of impacts on catalyst performance and a noticeable increase in C2 and C3 yield for the desalted crude. Moreover, a higher C3 was produced for both catalysts at 430–450 °C due to the catalyst’s large pore.