Apparatus and processes herein provide for converting hydrocarbon feeds to light olefins and other hydrocarbons. The processes and apparatus include, in some embodiments, feeding a hydrocarbon, a first catalyst and a second catalyst to a reactor, wherein the first catalyst has a smaller average particle size and is less dense than the second catalyst. A first portion of the second catalyst may be recovered as a bottoms product from the reactor, and a cracked hydrocarbon effluent, a second portion of the second catalyst, and the first catalyst may be recovered as an overhead product from the reactor. The second portion of the second catalyst may be separated from the overhead product, providing a first stream comprising the first catalyst and the hydrocarbon effluent and a second stream comprising the separated second catalyst, allowing return of the separated second catalyst in the second stream to the reactor.

Apparatus and processes herein provide for converting hydrocarbon feeds to light olefins and other hydrocarbons. The processes and apparatus include, in some embodiments, feeding a hydrocarbon, a first catalyst and a second catalyst to a reactor, wherein the first catalyst has a smaller average particle size and is less dense than the second catalyst. A first portion of the second catalyst may be recovered as a bottoms product from the reactor, and a cracked hydrocarbon effluent, a second portion of the second catalyst, and the first catalyst may be recovered as an overhead product from the reactor. The second portion of the second catalyst may be separated from the overhead product, providing a first stream comprising the first catalyst and the hydrocarbon effluent and a second stream comprising the separated second catalyst, allowing return of the separated second catalyst in the second stream to the reactor.

A method of producing a lower olefin and BTX from stock oils selected from at least two kinds of oils is provided. The method includes a first catalytic cracking step of bringing one stock oil A into contact with a catalytic cracking catalyst; a second catalytic cracking step of bringing one stock oil B, having an aromatic component content smaller than that of the stock oil A, into contact with the catalytic cracking catalyst; and a separation and collection step of collecting the lower olefins and BTX from a product generated in the first and second catalytic cracking steps. A contact time A during which the stock oil A is in contact with the catalytic cracking catalyst in the first catalytic cracking step is longer than a contact time B during which the stock oil B is in contact with the catalytic cracking catalyst in the second catalytic cracking step.

Systems and methods for steam and catalytic cracking of a hydrocarbon inlet stream comprising hydrocarbons. Systems and methods can include a catalyst feed stream, where the catalyst feed stream comprises a fluid and a heterogeneous catalyst, the heterogeneous catalyst operable to catalyze cracking of the hydrocarbons on surfaces of the heterogeneous catalyst a steam feed stream, where the steam feed stream is operable to effect steam cracking of the hydrocarbons, and where the steam feed stream decreases coking of the heterogeneous catalyst; and a downflow reactor, where the downflow reactor is operable to accept and mix the hydrocarbon inlet stream, the catalyst feed stream, and the steam feed stream, where the downflow reactor is operable to produce light olefins by steam cracking and catalytic cracking, and where the downflow reactor is operable to allow the heterogeneous catalyst to flow downwardly by gravity.

Systems and methods for steam and catalytic cracking of a hydrocarbon inlet stream comprising hydrocarbons. Systems and methods can include a catalyst feed stream, where the catalyst feed stream comprises a fluid and a heterogeneous catalyst, the heterogeneous catalyst operable to catalyze cracking of the hydrocarbons on surfaces of the heterogeneous catalyst a steam feed stream, where the steam feed stream is operable to effect steam cracking of the hydrocarbons, and where the steam feed stream decreases coking of the heterogeneous catalyst; and a downflow reactor, where the downflow reactor is operable to accept and mix the hydrocarbon inlet stream, the catalyst feed stream, and the steam feed stream, where the downflow reactor is operable to produce light olefins by steam cracking and catalytic cracking, and where the downflow reactor is operable to allow the heterogeneous catalyst to flow downwardly by gravity.

A method of processing a hydrocarbon feed may comprise fractionating the hydrocarbon feed into a light stream and a heavy stream, where the light stream includes hydrocarbons boiling at less than 370 C., and the heavy stream includes hydrocarbons boiling at greater than greater than 370 C., hydrotreating the heavy stream to form a hydrotreated heavy stream, feeding the light stream to a first Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) reaction zone, thereby producing a light product stream which includes light olefins, and feeding the hydrotreated heavy stream to a second Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) reaction zone, thereby producing a heavy product stream which includes light olefins, where the first FCC reaction zone operates under more severe operating conditions than the second FCC reaction zone.

A method of processing a hydrocarbon feed may comprise fractionating the hydrocarbon feed into a light stream and a heavy stream, where the light stream includes hydrocarbons boiling at less than 370 C., and the heavy stream includes hydrocarbons boiling at greater than greater than 370 C., hydrotreating the heavy stream to form a hydrotreated heavy stream, feeding the light stream to a first Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) reaction zone, thereby producing a light product stream which includes light olefins, and feeding the hydrotreated heavy stream to a second Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) reaction zone, thereby producing a heavy product stream which includes light olefins, where the first FCC reaction zone operates under more severe operating conditions than the second FCC reaction zone.

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to systems and processes for producing olefins and/or dienes. The processes may include: thermally cracking a hydrocarbon containing feed to produce a cracked hydrocarbon effluent containing a mixture of olefins and paraffins; and catalytically cracking the cracked hydrocarbon effluent to produce a catalytically cracked effluent containing additional olefins and/or dienes. The systems may include a reaction zone for thermally cracking a hydrocarbon containing feed to produce a cracked hydrocarbon effluent containing a mixture of olefins and paraffins; and, a catalytic cracking reaction zone for catalytically cracking the cracked hydrocarbon effluent to produce a catalytically cracked hydrocarbon effluent containing additional olefins and/or dienes.

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to systems and processes for producing olefins and/or dienes. The processes may include: thermally cracking a hydrocarbon containing feed to produce a cracked hydrocarbon effluent containing a mixture of olefins and paraffins; and catalytically cracking the cracked hydrocarbon effluent to produce a catalytically cracked effluent containing additional olefins and/or dienes. The systems may include a reaction zone for thermally cracking a hydrocarbon containing feed to produce a cracked hydrocarbon effluent containing a mixture of olefins and paraffins; and, a catalytic cracking reaction zone for catalytically cracking the cracked hydrocarbon effluent to produce a catalytically cracked hydrocarbon effluent containing additional olefins and/or dienes.

Systems and methods for steam and catalytic cracking of a hydrocarbon inlet stream comprising hydrocarbons. Systems and methods can include a catalyst feed stream, where the catalyst feed stream comprises a fluid and a heterogeneous catalyst, the heterogeneous catalyst operable to catalyze cracking of the hydrocarbons on surfaces of the heterogeneous catalyst a steam feed stream, where the steam feed stream is operable to effect steam cracking of the hydrocarbons, and where the steam feed stream decreases coking of the heterogeneous catalyst; and a downflow reactor, where the downflow reactor is operable to accept and mix the hydrocarbon inlet stream, the catalyst feed stream, and the steam feed stream, where the downflow reactor is operable to produce light olefins by steam cracking and catalytic cracking, and where the downflow reactor is operable to allow the heterogeneous catalyst to flow downwardly by gravity.