A petroleum refining method for upgrading petroleum products improves the efficiency and reduces the costs of upgrading oils, such as lipids, bitumen, crude oil, fracking oils, synthetic oils, and other feeds, to produce useful fuels and chemical precursor streams. Usage of a specific type of zeolite (ZSM-5) catalyst, supercritical water to control coke formation, and a specific response to phase behavior and other catalytic effects optimize the process. A prescribed set of reactor conditions employing supercritical water increases activity of the catalyst in industrial reactions.

A petroleum refining method for upgrading petroleum products improves the efficiency and reduces the costs of upgrading oils, such as lipids, bitumen, crude oil, fracking oils, synthetic oils, and other feeds, to produce useful fuels and chemical precursor streams. Usage of a specific type of zeolite (ZSM-5) catalyst, supercritical water to control coke formation, and a specific response to phase behavior and other catalytic effects optimize the process. A prescribed set of reactor conditions employing supercritical water increases activity of the catalyst in industrial reactions.

This disclosure relates to the production of chemicals and plastics using pyrolysis oil from the pyrolysis of plastic waste as a co-feedstock along with a petroleum-based, fossil fuel-based, or bio-based feedstock. In an aspect, the polymers and chemicals produced according to this disclosure can be certified under International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) provisions as circular polymers and chemicals at any point along complex chemical reaction pathways. The use of a mass balance approach which attributes the pounds of pyrolyzed plastic products derived from pyrolysis oil to any output stream of a given unit has been developed, which permits ISCC certification agency approval.

This disclosure relates to the production of chemicals and plastics using pyrolysis oil from the pyrolysis of plastic waste as a co-feedstock along with a petroleum-based, fossil fuel-based, or bio-based feedstock. In an aspect, the polymers and chemicals produced according to this disclosure can be certified under International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) provisions as circular polymers and chemicals at any point along complex chemical reaction pathways. The use of a mass balance approach which attributes the pounds of pyrolyzed plastic products derived from pyrolysis oil to any output stream of a given unit has been developed, which permits ISCC certification agency approval.

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.

An integrated catalytic process for upgrading a feed oil comprises the steps of introducing a catalyst precursor solution to a supercritical water (SCW) process unit, where the catalyst precursor solution comprises a catalyst precursor dissolved in liquid water; introducing a feed water to the SCW process unit; introducing the feed oil to the SCW process unit; treating the catalyst precursor solution, the feed water, and the feed oil in the SCW process unit to produce a SCW effluent, where the catalyst precursor is converted to catalyst particles; separating the SCW effluent in a separator unit to produce a SCW distillate product, a SCW residue product; introducing the SCW residue product to a slurry hydroprocessing unit, where the SCW residue product comprises the catalyst particles; treating the SCW residue product and the hydrogen gas in the slurry hydroprocessing unit to produce a product gas stream and an upgraded oil product.

An integrated catalytic process for upgrading a feed oil comprises the steps of introducing a catalyst precursor solution to a supercritical water (SCW) process unit, where the catalyst precursor solution comprises a catalyst precursor dissolved in liquid water; introducing a feed water to the SCW process unit; introducing the feed oil to the SCW process unit; treating the catalyst precursor solution, the feed water, and the feed oil in the SCW process unit to produce a SCW effluent, where the catalyst precursor is converted to catalyst particles; separating the SCW effluent in a separator unit to produce a SCW distillate product, a SCW residue product; introducing the SCW residue product to a slurry hydroprocessing unit, where the SCW residue product comprises the catalyst particles; treating the SCW residue product and the hydrogen gas in the slurry hydroprocessing unit to produce a product gas stream and an upgraded oil product.

A process for treating a feed oil in the presence of in situ produced catalyst particles comprising the steps of mixing the supercritical water feed with the pressurized precursor solution in a catalyst mixer to produce a supercritical water stream; withdrawing the supercritical water stream to a process line, where the catalyst precursor is converted to catalyst particles in the process line; mixing the supercritical water stream and the hot oil stream in the mixer to produce a mixed stream; introducing the mixed stream to a reactor; processing the heavy oil in the reactor in the presence of the catalyst particles to produce a reactor effluent; reducing a temperature of the reactor effluent to produce a cooled effluent; reducing a pressure of the cooled effluent to produce a depressurized effluent; and separating the depressurized effluent to produce a product gas, a product oil, and a product water.

A process for treating a feed oil in the presence of in situ produced catalyst particles comprising the steps of mixing the supercritical water feed with the pressurized precursor solution in a catalyst mixer to produce a supercritical water stream; withdrawing the supercritical water stream to a process line, where the catalyst precursor is converted to catalyst particles in the process line; mixing the supercritical water stream and the hot oil stream in the mixer to produce a mixed stream; introducing the mixed stream to a reactor; processing the heavy oil in the reactor in the presence of the catalyst particles to produce a reactor effluent; reducing a temperature of the reactor effluent to produce a cooled effluent; reducing a pressure of the cooled effluent to produce a depressurized effluent; and separating the depressurized effluent to produce a product gas, a product oil, and a product water.