HYDROCARBON CRACKING PROCESS FOR CONVERTING RENEWABLE/CIRCULAR FEEDS TO LOWER OLEFINS

Abstract

In an embodiment, a hydrocarbon cracking process for converting a mixed hydrocarbon feedstock to olefins is disclosed. The hydrocarbon cracking process includes: a) catalytically cracking the mixed hydrocarbon feedstock comprising renewable/circular feedstock within a fluid catalytic cracker (FCC) by contacting the mixed hydrocarbon feedstock under suitable catalytic cracking conditions with a fluidized cracking catalyst to produce at least a catalytically cracked gas product; b) separating the catalytically cracked gas product in a separator to produce an ethane product and ethylene; c) steam cracking the ethane product to produce a light steam cracked product; and d) recycling the light steam cracked product to the separator in step b) to produce a portion of the ethylene.

Claims

1. A hydrocarbon cracking process for converting a mixed hydrocarbon feedstock to olefins, the hydrocarbon cracking process comprises: a) catalytically cracking the mixed hydrocarbon feedstock comprising one or more renewable/circular feedstock within a fluid catalytic cracker (FCC) by contacting the mixed hydrocarbon feedstock under suitable catalytic cracking conditions with a fluidized cracking catalyst to produce at least a catalytically cracked gas product, i) wherein the ratio of pounds of cracking catalyst to pounds of each of the one or more renewable/circular feedstock ranges from about 120 to about 2000, and ii) wherein each of the one or more renewable/circular feedstock ranges from 0.1 to 5.5 wt. % of the mixed hydrocarbon feedstock; b) separating the catalytically cracked gas product in a separator to produce an ethane product and ethylene; c) steam cracking the ethane product to produce a light steam cracked product; d) recycling the light steam cracked product to the separator in step b) to produce a portion of the ethylene.

2. The hydrocarbon cracking process of claim 1, wherein the mixed hydrocarbon feedstock further comprises fossil hydrocarbons having boiling points in the range of from 150 C. to 760 C.

3. The hydrocarbon cracking process of claim 2, wherein the renewable/circular feed is fed to the fluid catalytic cracker (FCC) either together or separately from the fossil hydrocarbons.

4. The hydrocarbon cracking process of claim 3, wherein the renewable/circular feed of the mixed hydrocarbon feedstock comprises ethanol which is fed to the fluid catalytic cracker separately from the fossil hydrocarbons.

5. The hydrocarbon cracking process of claim 1, wherein the ethylene leaving the separator in step b) comprises at least 90 wt. % ethylene.

6. The hydrocarbon cracking process of claim 1, wherein catalytically cracking the mixed hydrocarbon feedstock occurs at the following conditions: contact time of from 0.1-5.0 seconds, temperature in the range of from 475-750 C., and pressure in the range of from 40 to 400 kPa.

7. The hydrocarbon cracking process of claim 1, wherein catalytically cracking the mixed hydrocarbon feedstock further comprises producing a catalytically cracked naphtha product, hydroprocessing the catalytically cracked naphtha product to produce at least a first product and supplying at least a portion of the first product to step c) to be steam cracked.

8. The hydrocarbon cracking process of claim 1, wherein catalytically cracking the mixed hydrocarbon feedstock further comprises producing a catalytically cracked gasoil product, hydroprocessing the catalytically cracked gasoil product to produce at least a second product and supplying at least a portion of the second product to step c) to be steam cracked.

9. The hydrocarbon cracking process of claim 1, wherein catalytically cracking the mixed hydrocarbon feedstock further comprises producing a catalytically cracked slurry product, thermally cracking the catalytically cracked slurry product to produce at least a third product and supplying at least a portion of the third product to step c) to be steam cracked.

10. The hydrocarbon cracking process of claim 1, wherein separating the catalytically cracked gas product further comprises producing a propylene product stream.

11. The hydrocarbon cracking process of claim 1, wherein separating the catalytically cracked gas product further comprises producing a crude C4 product stream.

12. The hydrocarbon cracking process of claim 1, wherein the ethylene produced in step b) is considered renewable/sustainable via a mass balance chain of custody and may be ISCC Plus certified.

13. The hydrocarbon cracking process of claim 10, wherein the propylene product stream is considered renewable/sustainable via a mass balance chain of custody and may be ISCC Plus certified.

14. The hydrocarbon cracking process of claim 11, wherein the crude C4 product stream is considered renewable/sustainable via a mass balance chain of custody and may be ISCC Plus certified.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The process of the present invention will be better understood by referring to the following detailed description of preferred embodiments and the drawings referenced therein, in which

[0010] FIG. 1 presents a process flow schematic representative of a catalytic cracking process system that utilizes a renewable or circular feedstock.

[0011] FIG. 2 presents a process flow schematic representative of a steam cracking process system that utilizes renewable or circular feedstock.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] This invention provides for the processing of a hydrocarbon feedstock including renewable or circular feedstocks in a catalytic cracking riser reactor to selectively produce lower olefins, including ethylene. The catalytic cracking reaction is conducted within a riser reactor zone within which the cracking catalyst is contacted with the hydrocarbon feedstock including renewable or circular feedstock under suitable catalytic cracking conditions.

[0013] The hydrocarbon feedstock charged to the process of the invention may include any fossil hydrocarbon feedstock that can be or is typically charged to a fluidized catalytic cracking unit. In general terms, fossil hydrocarbon mixtures boiling in the range of from 150 C. (302 F.) to 760 C. (1400 F.) can make suitable feedstocks for the inventive process. Examples of the types of refinery feed streams that can make suitable fossil hydrocarbon feedstocks include vacuum gas oils (VGO), coker gas oil, straight-run residues, thermally cracked oils and other fossil hydrocarbon streams.

[0014] In some embodiments, along with the fossil hydrocarbon feedstock, a renewable and/or circular co-feed may be processed, i.e., producing a mixed hydrocarbon feedstock. In some embodiments, more than one renewable and/or circular co-feed may be used. The make-up of the co-feed may determine what type of fossil hydrocarbon feedstock is processed with the co-feed and at what location the renewable/circular co-feed enters the FCC reactor. In some embodiments, the renewable/circular co-feed may be processed with vacuum gas oil (VGO). In other embodiments, no fossil hydrocarbon feedstock is charged to the fluidized catalytic cracking unit, i.e, only renewable and/or circular feedstocks are processed.

[0015] Renewable co-feedstocks may include the following: [0016] i. Ethanol derived from biogenic or waste-based sources including, but not limited to, corn, sugarcane, sugar beet, rye, wheat, forestry residue, agricultural residue, waste tires, etc. Ethanol may be denatured or undenatured in quality; [0017] ii. Vegetable oils such as but not limited to soybean oil, rapeseed oil, camelina oil, coconut oil, palm oil or processed/refined versions of the same such as refined and/or bleached and/or degummed vegetable oils, biodiesel, renewable diesel, renewable naphtha etc.; [0018] iii. Side streams or low value streams out of chemicals manufacturing processes originating from soybean oil, rapeseed oil, camelina oil, coconut oil, palm oil. These may include bio-originated esters and alcohols used for blending into fuel as bio-diesel or additives; [0019] iv. Waste or byproduct streams such as, but not limited to, used cooking oil, distiller corn oil, waste animal fats and/or spent bleach earth oil and processed or pre-treated forms of such feedstocks including renewable diesel and renewable naphtha; [0020] V. Products of gas-to-liquid conversion from bio-originated natural gas such as renewable natural gas; and [0021] vi. Bio-pyrolysis oil, derived from pyrolysis of forestry waste or other forms of biomass.

[0022] Renewable co-feedstocks may be fed to the FCC reactor via a separate inlet from the fossil hydrocarbon feedstock or may be fed in the same inlet together with the fossil hydrocarbon. In some embodiments, the renewable co-feedstock may be pre-mixed with the fossil hydrocarbon feedstock.

[0023] Renewable feedstocks may also include raw and processed forms of vegetable oils or waste oils, as described above. Such processed feedstocks may include, but are not limited to, Renewable Diesel and/or Renewable Naphtha. Specifications for Renewable Diesel and Renewable Naphtha are laid out below in Tables 1 and 2.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Renewable Diesel Specifications Qualities Minimum Maximum Density at 60 deg F. 0.76 0.83 ASTM D2887 10% 300 deg F. ASTM D2887 90% 750 deg F. Flash Point ASTM D93A 130 deg F. 220 deg F. Pour Point <80 deg F.

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Renewable Naphtha Specifications Qualities Minimum Maximum Density at 60 deg F. 0.65 0.76 ASTM D2887 10% 90 deg F. ASTM D2887 90% 350 deg F. Reid Vapor Pressure (kPA) <100 Sulfur <3000 ppm

[0024] Circular co-feedstocks may include pyrolysis oils or pyrolysis oil based feedstocks. Examples of such feeds may include, but are not limited to, products such as raw and treated forms of pyrolysis oil, pyrolysis gas and ethanol, each derived from the pyrolysis of plastics, end of life tires and other wastes. Circular feedstocks may also include gas-to-liquid conversion of waste based or circular natural gas streams. Circular feedstocks may be fed in the same inlet together with the fossil hydrocarbon feedstock or may be fed to the FCC reactor via a separate inlet from the fossil hydrocarbon feedstock. In some embodiments, the circular co-feedstock may be pre-mixed with the fossil hydrocarbon feedstock.

[0025] Specifications for circular feedstocks, which are produced from pyrolysis and processing of plastic and end of life tires are given below in Tables 3 and 4.

TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 Plastic Waste Pyrolysis Oil Specifications Qualities Minimum Maximum Density at 60 deg F. 0.75 0.95 ASTM D2887 10% 190 deg F. ASTM D2887 90% 1050 deg F. Flash Point ASTM D93A 150 deg F. Pour Point 40 deg F. 150 deg F. Carbon 80 wt. % 90 wt. % Hydrogen 10 wt. % 15 wt. % UV Aromatics 5 wt. % 25 wt. %

TABLE-US-00004 TABLE 4 End of life Tire Pyrolysis Oil Specifications Qualities Minimum Maximum Density at 60 deg F. 0.85 1.2 ASTM D2887 10% 200 deg F. ASTM D2887 90% 1050 deg F. Flash Point ASTM D93A 20 deg F. 170 deg F. Pour Point 40 deg F. 130 deg F. Carbon 80 wt. % 90 wt. % Hydrogen 10 wt. % 75 wt. % UV Aromatics 10 wt. % 75 wt. %

[0026] The mixture of hydrocarbon feedstock including renewable/circular feed, cracking catalyst, and steam, passes through the riser reactor zone wherein the catalytic cracking reactions to occur. The average residence time of the mixture of hydrocarbon feedstock including renewable/circular feed within the riser reactor zone generally can be in the range of about 0.1 to 5 seconds, but usually it is in the range of from 1 to 2.5 seconds.

[0027] The weight ratio of cracking catalyst to the renewable/circular feed introduced into the riser reactor zone can generally be in the range of from about 100 to about 1000 and even as high as 2000. More typically, the weight ratio of cracking catalyst to each renewable/circular feed ratio can be in the range of from 120 to 750. Examples of, but not limited to, the amounts of feedstock to the FCC may be found in Table 5:

TABLE-US-00005 TABLE 5 Catalyst to Renewable/Circular Feed Ratio Unit Case 1 Case 2 Rate of each weight percentage of 0.5 wt % 5.5 wt % Renewable/Circular mixed hydrocarbon Feedstock feedstock Cracking Catalyst to pound of cracking 10.0 6.6 mixed hydrocarbon catalyst per pound of Feedstock mixed hydrocarbon feedstock Cracking Catalyst to pound of cracking 2000 120 each Renewable/Circular catalyst per pound of Feedstock Renewable/Circular feedstock

[0028] The temperatures in the riser reactor zone generally will be in the range of from about 400 C. (752 F.) to about 750 C. (1382 F.). More typically, the riser reactor zone exit temperatures can be in the range of from 450 C. (842 F.) to 550 C. (1022 F.).

[0029] The mixture of catalytically cracked hydrocarbons and spent catalyst from the riser reactor pass to a separator/stripper system that provides means for separating catalytically cracked hydrocarbons from the spent catalyst. The separator/stripper system can be any system or means known to those skilled in the art for separating spent cracking catalyst from catalytically cracked hydrocarbon product. In a typical separator/stripper operation, the riser reactor product passes to the separator/stripper system that includes cyclones for separating the spent cracking catalyst from the vaporous catalytically cracked hydrocarbon product. The separated spent cracking catalyst enters the stripper vessel from the cyclones where it is contacted with steam to further remove catalytically cracked hydrocarbon product from the spent cracking catalyst. The coke content on the separated spent cracking catalyst is, generally, in the range of from about 0.5 to about 5 weight percent (wt. %), based on the total weight of the catalyst and the carbon. Typically, the coke content on the separated spent cracking catalyst is in the range of from or about 0.5 wt. % to or about 1.5 wt. %.

[0030] The separated spent cracking catalyst is then passed to a catalyst regenerator that provides means for regenerating the separated spent cracking catalyst. The separated spent cracking catalyst is introduced into the regenerator and carbon that is deposited on the separated spent cracking catalyst is burned in order to remove the carbon to provide a regenerated cracking catalyst having a reduced carbon content. The catalyst regenerator typically is a vertical cylindrical vessel that defines the regeneration zone and wherein the spent cracking catalyst is maintained as a fluidized bed by the upward passage of an oxygen-containing regeneration gas, such as air.

[0031] The temperature within the regeneration zone is, in general, maintained in the range of from about 621 C. (1150 F.) to 760 C. (1400 F.), and more, typically, in the range of from 677 C. (1250 F.) to 715 C. (1320 F.). The pressure within the regeneration zone typically is in the range of from about atmospheric to about 345 kPa (50 psig) or from about 34 to 345 kPa (5 to 50 psig). The residence time of the separated spent cracking catalyst within the regeneration zone is in the range of from about 1 to about 6 minutes, and, typically, from or about 2 to or about 4 minutes. The coke content on the regenerated cracking catalyst is less than the coke content on the separated spent cracking catalyst and, generally, is less than 0.5 wt. %, with the weight percent being based on the weight of the regenerated cracking catalyst excluding the weight of the coke content. The coke content of the regenerated cracking catalyst will, thus, generally, be in the range of from or about 0.01 wt. % to or about 0.5 wt. %. In some embodiments, the coke concentration on the regenerated cracking catalyst will be less than 0.3 wt. % and, will be in the range of from 0.01 wt. % to 0.3 wt. %. In some embodiments, the coke concentration on the regenerated cracking catalyst is less than 0.1 wt. % and, thus, in the range of from 0.01 wt. % to 0.1 wt. %.

[0032] The regenerated catalyst settles within the catalyst regenerator from which inventory is withdrawn as the regenerated catalyst for use as the cracking catalyst that is introduced into the riser reactor zone of the inventive process. Fresh or unused cracking catalyst may be added to the inventory of regenerated catalyst contained within the catalyst regenerator to also be used as the cracking catalyst of the inventive process.

[0033] The catalytically cracked hydrocarbon product may be passed to a product separation system for separating the catalytically cracked hydrocarbon product into a catalytically cracked lower olefin product comprising at least one lower olefin compound, a catalytically cracked naphtha product (C5 to 220 C.), a catalytically cracked gasoil product (220 C. to 350 C.) and a catalytically cracked slurry oil (>350 C.). The product separation system can be any system known to those skilled in the art for recovering and separating the catalytically cracked hydrocarbon product into the various FCC products, such as, for example, lower olefin product, catalytically cracked naphtha, catalytically cracked gas oils and catalytically cracked slurry oil.

[0034] The catalytically cracked lower olefin product may be further passed to a secondary separation system for separating the catalytically cracked lower olefin product into at least one or more of ethylene, propylene, crude C4 and ethane. Other streams which may also be products from the secondary separation system may include hydrogen, methane and tail gas. Crude C4 may include butane, butylene, and butadiene. In some embodiments, the ethane may also include other components, for example some ethylene loss. The secondary separation system can be any system known to those skilled in the art for recovering and separating the lower olefin product into the various light end products.

[0035] In some embodiments, the ethylene from the secondary separation system may be at least 90 wt. % ethylene, at least 95 wt. % ethylene, at least 97 wt. % ethylene, at least 98 wt. % ethylene, or at least 99 wt. % ethylene. At these levels of purity, the ethylene may be used as a chemical feedstock or further derivatized to produce higher value chemicals. The propylene and crude C4 may be used downstream as a chemical feedstock or used for processing and blending into fuels.

[0036] In some embodiments, the propylene from the secondary separation system may be at least 80 wt. % propylene (referred to as refinery grade propylene), at least 93 wt. % propylene (referred to as chemical grade propylene), or at least 99 wt. % propylene (referred to as polymer grade propylene).

[0037] In some embodiments, the ethane from the secondary separation system may be sent to a steam cracker as pyrolysis furnace feed to produce a steam cracked lower olefin product and a steam cracked liquid product. The steam cracker front end section, also known as the hot side, has steam cracking furnaces that may be fed ethane, propane, butane, naphtha, or gas oil from a variety of feed sources, including the FCC. The feeds, in the presence of dilution steam, pyrolyze or thermally crack to generate a wide array of mixed intermediate chemical products, which include hydrogen, methane, ethylene, propylene, crude C4s, pyrolysis gasoline, and cracked heavy and light gas oils. The steam cracker backend section, also known as the cold side, routes this wide array of mixed intermediate chemical products through systems to produce products having the desired purity specification. The systems include, but are not limited to, absorbers, strippers, acid gas scrubbers, fractionators, compressors, core exchanger chillers, and separators. In some embodiments, the secondary separation system may be part of the steam cracker backend system.

[0038] In some embodiments, the steam cracked lower olefin product may be routed to the secondary separation system for separating the steam cracked lower olefin product along with the catalytically cracked lower olefin product. The steam cracked lower olefin product may include ethylene, propylene, crude C4 and/or fuel gas. The steam cracked liquid product may include C5 or higher boiling point materials such as pyrolysis gasoline, light and heavy cracked gas oils. The pyrolysis gasoline may be further processed to produce various valuable chemicals such as benzene, toluene, xylene, cumene and phenol or to blend into finished gasoline.

[0039] The catalytically cracked naphtha, including naphtha range material, may be routed through a combination of vessels, pumps, columns where it is stabilized and sent to further downstream processing. The further downstream processing may include hydroprocessing for impurity removal and/or olefin saturation for blending the catalytically cracked naphtha into finished gasoline. The hydroprocessing may include a combination of catalyst and distillation, separation and stripping, and any combination of vessels, pumps, compressors, controls to enable hydrogen addition and contaminant removal of the catalytically cracked naphtha stream. The hydroprocessed naphtha stream can then be sent to the steam cracker front end section, as described above, to produce a portion of the steam cracked lower olefin product and portions of the steam cracked liquid product.

[0040] Catalytically cracked gasoil, including heavier gasoil range material, may be steam stripped in a combination of stripping columns to remove light ends and soluble H.sub.2S. The catalytically cracked gas oils may then be routed to further downstream processing that may include fixed bed hydroprocessing of distillates and/or fixed bed hydrocracking of heavy gasoil feeds. The hydroprocessing units use a combination of pumps, compressors, reactors, furnaces, separators, distillation columns, strippers, and associated controls to removed impurities and contaminants and to saturate olefins. In some embodiments, the hydroprocessed gasoil stream can then be sent to the steam cracker front end, as described above, to produce a portion of the steam cracked lower olefin product and a portion of the steam cracked liquid product. In other embodiments, the hydroprocessing units may be designed to produce ultra-low sulfur diesel from the catalytically cracked gas oils in addition to steam cracker feed.

[0041] Catalytically cracked slurry oil, including heavier gasoil range material, may be routed to further downstream processing that may include thermal cracking of slurry oil in a delayed coking process or similar. The thermal cracking unit uses a combination of pumps, compressors, reactors, furnaces, separators, distillation columns, strippers, and associated controls to upgrade heavy gasoil range material to lighter, more valuable products including LPG and naphtha. In some embodiments, the thermally cracked liquid product stream can then be sent to the steam cracker front end, as described above, to produce a portion of the steam cracked lower olefin product and a portion of the steam cracked liquid product. In other embodiments, the thermal cracking units may be designed to produce commercial grade petroleum coke from the catalytically cracked slurry oil in addition to steam cracker feed.

[0042] FIG. 1 presents a process flow schematic representative of a catalytic cracking process system 10 that utilizes a cracking catalyst with the use of steam. In the catalytic cracking process system 10, a hydrocarbon feedstock passes through conduit 12 and is introduced into the lower and/or bottom of the riser reactor 14. In some embodiments, the hydrocarbon feedstock may be fossil hydrocarbons. In other embodiments, the hydrocarbon feedstock may be a mixture of fossil hydrocarbons and renewable/circular feed. In other embodiments, renewable/circular feed may pass through conduit 22 to be introduced into the lower or bottom of riser reactor 14 by itself, either above or below the fossil hydrocarbon feedstock in conduit 12. Riser reactor 14 defines a riser reactor zone, or a cracking zone, wherein the hydrocarbon feedstock is mixed and contacted with the fluidized cracking catalyst, and steam.

[0043] The riser reactor 14 is operated under suitable cracking conditions to selectively yield catalytically cracked products and light olefins products. Steam may be introduced into the bottom of the riser reactor 14 by way of conduit 16. In some embodiments, the renewable/circular feed in conduit 22 enters the riser reactor 14 at a location above or below the conduit 16.

[0044] In an embodiment of the invention, the cracking catalyst that is introduced into the riser reactor 14 is a hot regenerated catalyst taken from a catalyst regenerator 18 which passes through conduit 20 to be introduced into the bottom of riser reactor 14 for contacting with the hydrocarbon feedstock and renewable/circular feed that is introduced by way of conduit 12 and conduit 22, respectively. Conduit 22 may be located below conduit 12 and conduit 20.

[0045] The mixture of fossil hydrocarbon feedstock, renewable/circular feed, cracking catalyst, and steam, passes through riser reactor 14 and is introduced into stripper system or separator/stripper 26.

[0046] The separator/stripper 26 can be any conventional system that defines a separation zone or stripping zone, or both, and provides means for separating the catalytically cracked hydrocarbon product and spent cracking catalyst. The separated catalytically cracked hydrocarbon product passes from separator/stripper 26 by way of conduit 28 to separation system 30. The separation system 30 can be any system known to those skilled in the art for recovering and separating the catalytically cracked hydrocarbon product into the various catalytically cracked products, such as, for example, catalytically cracked gas, catalytically cracked naphtha, catalytically cracked gasoil and catalytically cracked slurry oil. The catalytically cracked hydrocarbon product, which can comprise lower olefins, catalytically cracked naphtha, catalytically cracked gasoil, and catalytically cracked slurry, respectively exit from separation system 30 through conduits 32, 34, 36, and 37. The separation system 30 may include such systems as absorbers and strippers, fractionators, compressors and separators or any combination of known systems for providing recovery and separation of the products that make up the catalytically cracked hydrocarbon product.

[0047] The separated spent cracking catalyst passes from separator/stripper 26 through conduit 38 and is introduced into catalyst regenerator 18. Catalyst regenerator 18 defines a regeneration zone and provides means for contacting the spent cracking catalyst with an oxygen-containing gas, such as air, under carbon burning conditions to remove carbon from the spent cracking catalyst. The oxygen-containing gas is introduced into catalyst regenerator 18 through conduit 40 and the combustion gases pass from catalyst regenerator 18 by way of conduit 42. Hot regenerated catalyst passes through conduit 20 to be introduced into the bottom of riser reactor 14.

[0048] FIG. 2 presents a process flow schematic representative of a steam cracking process system 90. The steam cracking process system 90 may include a cracker back-end or cold side 44 of the steam cracker and a cracker front-end or hot side 54 of the steam cracker. The cracker back-end 44 can be any system known to those skilled in the art for recovering and separating the cracked gas products into lower olefin product streams. The cracker back-end 44 may include such systems as absorbers and strippers, acid gas scrubbers, fractionators, compressors, core exchanger chillers, and separators or any combination of known systems or equipment providing for the recovery and separation of the lower olefin products from a cracked gas product. The cracker front-end 54 is used herein to refer to a steam cracking unit or a thermal cracking unit. The cracker front-end 54 may include a steam cracking furnace into which various feeds are fed and upstream feed pre-treatment equipment.

[0049] In some embodiments, the catalytically cracked gas in conduit 32 is introduced into the cracker back-end 44. Yields from the cracker back-end 44 may include, but not limited to, ethylene in conduit 46, propylene in conduit 48, crude C4 in conduit 50, and ethane in conduit 52. Ethane in conduit 52 may be sent to the cracker front-end 54.

[0050] Products from the cracker front-end 54 may include a light steam cracked product and a liquid steam cracked product via conduits 56 and 58, respectively. In some embodiments, the light steam cracked product 56 is routed to the cracker back-end 44 for fractionation. The liquid steam cracked product 58, which includes fuel components such as heavy and light gas oils along with pyrolysis gasoline, may also include C5 or higher boiling point materials such as pyrolysis gasoline, light and heavy cracked gas oils. The pyrolysis gasoline may be further processed to produce various valuable chemicals such as benzene, toluene, xylene, cumene and phenol or to blend into finished gasoline.

[0051] The catalytically cracked naphtha in conduit 34 may be introduced into a naphtha hydroprocessing system 60. The naphtha hydroprocessing system 60 may include those processes for sulfur and other impurity removals and/or olefin saturation. The naphtha hydroprocessing system 60 may include a combination of catalyst and distillation, separation and stripping, and any combination of vessels, pumps, compressors, controls to enable hydrogen addition and contaminant removal of the catalytically cracked naphtha stream. The product from the naphtha hydroprocessing system 60 includes hydroprocessed naphtha which can be sent to the cracker front-end 54 via conduit 62 or a portion may be blended into finished gasoline.

[0052] The catalytically cracked gasoil in conduit 36 may be introduced into a gasoil hydroprocessing system 64. The gasoil hydroprocessing system 64 may include those processes for sulfur and other impurity removals and/or olefin saturation. The gasoil hydroprocessing system 64 may include a combination of catalyst and distillation, separation and stripping, and any combination of vessels, pumps, compressors, controls to enable hydrogen addition and contaminant removal of the catalytically cracked gasoil stream. The product from the gasoil hydroprocessing system 64 includes hydroprocessed gasoil which can be sent to the cracker front-end 54 via conduit 66 or may be blended into finished distillate or diesel fuels.

[0053] The catalytically cracked slurry oil in conduit 37 may be introduced into a thermal cracking system 68. The thermal cracking system 68 may include a combination of furnaces, coke drums and distillation, separation and stripping, and any combination of vessels, pumps, compressors, controls to enable upgrading of heavy gasoil streams into lighter, more valuable hydrocarbons including liquid propane gas (LPG), naphtha and light gas oils. The coker hydrocarbon streams may then be processed in downstream units for contaminant removal. In some embodiments, a product from the thermal cracking system 68 includes a thermally cracked liquid product which can be sent to the cracker front-end 54 via conduit 70. In some embodiments, the thermally cracked liquid product, sometimes referred to as coker light gas oil (LGO) may be further processed in downstream units including a distillates hydrotreating unit to produce finished ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD).

[0054] In some embodiments, not shown in FIG. 2, one or more manufacturing systems to which any of the lower olefin products in conduits 46, 48 or 50, may be passed as a feedstock to be used in the manufacture of polyolefin or other high value chemicals.

[0055] Although a few embodiments of the disclosure have been described in detail above, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible without materially departing from the teachings of this disclosure. Accordingly, such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure as defined in the claims.