A process for upgrading heavy oil is provided, which integrates thermal cracking, hydrogenolysis, and catalytic aquathermolysis. A catalytic hydrogen-aquathermolysis reactor receives a heavy oil feed, water and hydrogen. In addition catalytic materials and a viscosity reducing agent are introduced. The catalytic hydrogen-aquathermolysis reactor is operated at conditions effective to produce an upgraded heavy oil product.

The invention relates to systems and methods for ultrasonic oxidative desulfurization of heavy fuel oils. In various embodiments, the methods include combinations of ultrasonic sulfone decomposition processes and/or catalytic decomposition processes.

The invention relates to systems and methods for ultrasonic oxidative desulfurization of heavy fuel oils. In various embodiments, the methods include combinations of ultrasonic sulfone decomposition processes and/or catalytic decomposition processes.

Processes herein may be used to thermally crack various hydrocarbon feeds, and may eliminate the refinery altogether while making the crude to chemicals process very flexible in terms of crude. In embodiments herein, crude is progressively separated into at least light and heavy fractions. Depending on the quality of the light and heavy fractions, these are routed to one of three upgrading operations, including a fixed bed hydroconversion unit, a fluidized catalytic conversion unit, or a residue hydrocracking unit that may utilize an ebullated bed reactor. Products from the upgrading operations may be used as feed to a steam cracker.

Processes herein may be used to thermally crack various hydrocarbon feeds, and may eliminate the refinery altogether while making the crude to chemicals process very flexible in terms of crude. In embodiments herein, crude is progressively separated into at least light and heavy fractions. Depending on the quality of the light and heavy fractions, these are routed to one of three upgrading operations, including a fixed bed hydroconversion unit, a fluidized catalytic conversion unit, or a residue hydrocracking unit that may utilize an ebullated bed reactor. Products from the upgrading operations may be used as feed to a steam cracker.

Provided in one embodiment is a continuous process for converting waste plastic comprising polyethylene and/or polypropylene into recycle for polypropylene polymerization. The process comprises selecting waste plastics containing polyethylene, polypropylene, or a mixture thereof, and passing the waste plastics through a pyrolysis reactor to thermally crack at least a portion of the polyolefin waste and produce a pyrolyzed effluent. The pyrolyzed effluent is separated into offgas, a pyrolysis oil comprising a naphtha, diesel and heavy fractions, and char. The pyrolysis oil, or at least a fraction, is passed to a filtration/metal oxide treatment, with the treated product passed to a refinery FCC unit. A liquid petroleum gas C.sub.3 olefin/paraffin mixture fraction is recovered from the FCC unit, as well as a C.sub.4 olefin/paraffin mixture fraction. The C.sub.3 olefin fraction can be passed to a propylene polymerization reactor, and the C.sub.3 paraffin passed to a dehydrogenation unit to produce propylene for further polymerization.

Provided in one embodiment is a continuous process for converting waste plastic comprising polyethylene and/or polypropylene into recycle for polypropylene polymerization. The process comprises selecting waste plastics containing polyethylene, polypropylene, or a mixture thereof, and passing the waste plastics through a pyrolysis reactor to thermally crack at least a portion of the polyolefin waste and produce a pyrolyzed effluent. The pyrolyzed effluent is separated into offgas, a pyrolysis oil comprising a naphtha, diesel and heavy fractions, and char. The pyrolysis oil, or at least a fraction, is passed to a filtration/metal oxide treatment, with the treated product passed to a refinery FCC unit. A liquid petroleum gas C.sub.3 olefin/paraffin mixture fraction is recovered from the FCC unit, as well as a C.sub.4 olefin/paraffin mixture fraction. The C.sub.3 olefin fraction can be passed to a propylene polymerization reactor, and the C.sub.3 paraffin passed to a dehydrogenation unit to produce propylene for further polymerization.

The invention relates to a pipe for thermal cracking of hydrocarbons in the presence of steam, in which the feed mixture is guided through externally heated pipes, wherein the pipe extends along a longitudinal axis and has a number N.sub.T of grooves that have been introduced into the inner surface of the pipe and extend in a helix around the longitudinal axis along the inner surface, the inner surface into which the grooves have been introduced, in a cross section at right angles to the longitudinal axis, has a diameter Di and a radius r.sub.1=Di/2, the grooves in the cross section at right angles to the longitudinal axis, in their groove base, each have the form of a circular arc and the circular arc has a radius r.sub.2, and
the grooves each have a groove depth TT which, in the cross section at right angles to the longitudinal axis, corresponds in each case to the smallest distance between the circle having the diameter Di on which the inner surface lies and the center of which lies on the longitudinal axis, and the furthest removed point of the groove base of the grooves from the longitudinal axis.

The invention relates to a pipe for thermal cracking of hydrocarbons in the presence of steam, in which the feed mixture is guided through externally heated pipes, wherein the pipe extends along a longitudinal axis and has a number N.sub.T of grooves that have been introduced into the inner surface of the pipe and extend in a helix around the longitudinal axis along the inner surface, the inner surface into which the grooves have been introduced, in a cross section at right angles to the longitudinal axis, has a diameter Di and a radius r.sub.1=Di/2, the grooves in the cross section at right angles to the longitudinal axis, in their groove base, each have the form of a circular arc and the circular arc has a radius r.sub.2, and
the grooves each have a groove depth TT which, in the cross section at right angles to the longitudinal axis, corresponds in each case to the smallest distance between the circle having the diameter Di on which the inner surface lies and the center of which lies on the longitudinal axis, and the furthest removed point of the groove base of the grooves from the longitudinal axis.

Processes herein may be used to thermally crack various hydrocarbon feeds, and may eliminate the refinery altogether while making the crude to chemicals process very flexible in terms of crude. In embodiments herein, crude is progressively separated into at least light and heavy fractions. Depending on the quality of the light and heavy fractions, these are routed to one of three upgrading operations, including a fixed bed hydroconversion unit, a fluidized catalytic conversion unit, or a residue hydrocracking unit that may utilize an ebullated bed reactor. Products from the upgrading operations may be used as feed to a steam cracker.