Water Enhancement of Hydrocarbon Cracking Reactions on ZSM-5

Abstract

Catalytic cracking of hydrocarbons is an extremely important process for the production of fuels and commodity chemicals from petroleum feedstocks. The effects of water on these reactions has been studied before at high temperatures and pressures; usually these results suggest that water decreases initial reaction rate in return for less deactivation. However, there is evidence that cracking reactions on ZSM-5 could be enhanced by the presence of small amounts of water. This work studies the response of zeolites to water and ultimately suggests that water has the ability to interact with extraframework alumina to form a new species that synergizes with acid sites.