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 forming C.sub.6-C.sub.8 aromatics may include selectively dealkylating a Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) heavy cut naphtha that has at least C.sub.9+ aromatics to selectively crack C.sub.2+ alkyl chains from the C.sub.9+ aromatics, thereby forming the C.sub.6-C.sub.8 aromatics. The selectively de-alkylated heavy cut naphtha is then combined with a FCC middle cut naphtha, and aromatics including the C.sub.6-C.sub.8 aromatics are separated from the combined stream. A system for forming C.sub.6-C.sub.8 aromatics may include a fluid catalytic cracking unit for producing a FCC heavy cut naphtha comprising at least C.sub.9+ aromatics; a de-alkylation reactor for selectively cracking C.sub.2+ alkyl chains from the C.sub.9+ aromatics, thereby forming the C.sub.6-C.sub.8 aromatics; and an aromatic extraction unit for extracting at least a portion of the C.sub.6-C.sub.8 aromatics.

Supercritical upgrading reactors and reactor systems are provided for upgrading a petroleum-based composition using one or more purging fluid inlets to prevent plugging of the catalyst layer in the reactor. Processes for upgrading petroleum-based compositions by utilizing a reactor having at least one purging fluid inlet are also provided.

A fluid catalytic cracking unit (FCCU) for production of petrochemical feedstock fractions comprises a first reactor to receive a stream of desalinated crude oil and produce a first cracked product stream; a second reactor to receive a stream of light cracked naphtha (LCN) and produce a second cracked product stream; a third reactor to receive a bottom stream and produce a third cracked product stream; and a fractionating column and gas concentration section to separate components of the first cracked product stream, the second cracked product stream, and the third cracked product stream to produce, upon further fractionation, Ethylene, Propylene, Butylene, Benzene, Toluene and Xylene as the petrochemical feedstock fractions.

Systems and methods for production of externally-pore-blocked, internally-pore-opened modified zeolite crystals, the method including mixing zeolite crystals with an organic pore blocking agent; heating the zeolite crystals mixed with the organic pore blocking agent to block internal pores of the zeolite crystals and produce internally-pore-blocked zeolite crystals; mixing the internally-pore-blocked zeolite crystals with an external pore blocking agent; and calcining the internally-pore-blocked zeolite crystals mixed with the external pore blocking agent, to re-open internal pores via decomposition of the organic pore blocking agent and to block external pores via formation of a silica layer over external pores of the zeolite crystals, forming the externally-pore-blocked, internally-pore-opened modified zeolite crystals.

A method and system for increasing olefin production and quality from a hydrocarbon feed comprising a fully integrated multi-stage catalyst regeneration zones with multi-stage reaction zones in series and/or parallel. The multi-stage regeneration with at least one partial and one full burn zone provides an independent control to achieve the lowest possible regenerated catalyst temperature, resulting in highest possible catalyst to oil ratio required to maximize olefins yields through increased catalytic cracking in a multi stage FCC riser/risers.

The present invention relates to the technical field of petroleum hydrocarbon catalytic conversion, referring to a multi-stage fluidized catalytic reaction process of petroleum hydrocarbon. In the present reaction process, multi-stage reaction takes place in the same reactor, including first order reaction and the second order reaction of FCC feedstock oil, cracking reaction process of light hydrocarbons and/or cycle oil. In the present process, catalyst replacement and two-stage relayed reaction takes place between the first and second order reaction of feedstock oil. Two-stage reaction of light hydrocarbons and/or cycle oil takes place too. These reactions take place in different region in the same one reactor. The first order reaction of light hydrocarbons and/or cycle oil takes place in independent region. In the present invention, catalytic cracking conversion of catalytic feedstock oil, light hydrocarbon and cycle oil takes place in respective reaction region and reaction condition. Multi-stage and stepped selectivity control of catalyst and reaction temperature is realized. Multi-stage reaction and stepped arrangement of temperature is realized in the same reactor. It could improve the yield and selectivity of olefin, and decrease the yield of by-products such as coke obviously.

A method and system for increasing olefin production and quality from a hydrocarbon feed comprising a fully integrated multi-stage catalyst regeneration zones with multi-stage reaction zones in series and/or parallel. The multi-stage regeneration with at least one partial and one full burn zone provides an independent control to achieve the lowest possible regenerated catalyst temperature, resulting in highest possible catalyst to oil ratio required to maximize olefins yields through increased catalytic cracking in a multi stage FCC riser/risers.

Methods for making higher-octane fuel components from a feed stream of C8+ paraffins, including catalytically cracking the C8+ paraffins using a Zeolite catalyst to produce a reaction product of mid-chain paraffins and olefins and short-chain paraffins and olefins. The reaction product comprises liquid phase paraffins having an increased Octane Value over the feed stream paraffins. The reaction product further comprises a gas phase of short-chain paraffins which are separated from the liquid phase. In embodiments, the short chain olefins are hydrogenated to form mid-chain paraffins and a gas phase containing short-chain paraffins.

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.