hydrocracking
Quick Summary
Hydrocracking is an industrial process used in petroleum refining to break down heavy hydrocarbon molecules into lighter, more valuable ones, such as gasoline, kerosene, and diesel fuel. This process utilizes hydrogen gas to improve the hydrogen-carbon ratio in the cracked molecules, offering greater flexibility in product yields compared to catalytic cracking.12
Hydrocracking operates at lower temperatures but much higher pressures than catalytic cracking. The catalysts used can vary, often including silica-alumina types, and sometimes hydrogenation catalysts like nickel, tungsten, platinum, or palladium. This process was developed in the 1950s and has become a significant part of modern refining, allowing for the production of high-quality, low-sulfur fuels.213
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
cracking…automobile and jet fuel increased, hydrocracking was applied to petroleum refining. This process employs hydrogen gas to improve the hydrogen-carbon ratio in the cracked molecules and to arrive at a broader range of end products, such as gasoline, kerosene (used in jet fuel), and diesel fuel. Modern low-temperature hydrocracking was…
Read More…automobile and jet fuel increased, hydrocracking was applied to petroleum refining. This process employs hydrogen gas to improve the hydrogen-carbon ratio in the cracked molecules and to arrive at a broader range of end products, such as gasoline, kerosene (used in jet fuel), and diesel fuel. Modern low-temperature hydrocracking was…
Read More
petroleum refiningConversion to light fuelsHydrocracking, a catalytic cracking process conducted in the presence of hydrogen, was developed to be a versatile manufacturing process for increasing the yields of either gasoline or jet fuels.
Read MoreHydrocracking, a catalytic cracking process conducted in the presence of hydrogen, was developed to be a versatile manufacturing process for increasing the yields of either gasoline or jet fuels.
Read More
petroleum refiningHydrocrackingOne of the most far-reaching developments of the refining industry in the 1950s was the use of hydrogen, made possible in part by the availability of hydrogen as a by-product of catalytic reforming. Since the 1980s hydrogen processing has become so prominent that many…
Read MoreOne of the most far-reaching developments of the refining industry in the 1950s was the use of hydrogen, made possible in part by the availability of hydrogen as a by-product of catalytic reforming. Since the 1980s hydrogen processing has become so prominent that many…
Read More