The use of gasoline with appropriate octane number will affect directly to meet superfine engine performance and avoiding from knocking effect. Improvement of gasoline quality in fluid catalytic cracking process usually is achieved by replacement of new catalyst which needs higher production cost. This research work aimed to describe the alternative method for improving gasoline octane in catalytic cracking by means of feedstock modification using mixture of vacuum gasoil and few of palm’s triglyceride and oleic acid. The experimental work of cracking reaction was performed in a fluid-bed reactor of ACE unit using REY zeolite catalysts at temperature of 530 °C and catalyst-oil ratio of 5.5 g/g. The liquid product was analyzed by a gas chromatograph of simulated distillation to determine yields of gasoline, light cycle oil and bottom product continued by a gas chromatograph of detailed hydrocarbon analysis to obtain hydrocarbon composition and calculated research octane number of gasoline. Analysis of gaseous product was performed using a gas chromatograph of refinery gas analyzer to detect yields of dry gas and LPG, whereas coke deposited on spent catalyst was analyzed using the infra-red method. From the research work, it was found that feedstock prepared from vacuum gasoil added with 5 % refined bleached deodorized palm oil and oleic acid (9:1) had increased gasoline RON from 91.8 to 98.2. The improvement of gasoline octane was contributed by the presence of double-bond fatty acid that triggered promoting effect to aromatisation and hydrogen transfer reactions in the formation of more iso-paraffins, olefins and aromatics in gasoline.
Gasoline is liquid hydrocarbon fuel used for spark-ignition engine. Most of gasoline production is carried out in the petroleum oil refinery through several stages of process and fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) is an important process that can convert some of heavy oil fractions like vacuum gasoil (VGO) and residue to be cracked into gasoline and lighter products. Consumption of gasoline for transportation fuel in Indonesia is higher than its production capability, so this gap has compelled to search the alternative process route using renewable feedstock. Coprocessing of petroleum gasoil with crude palm oil in fluid catalytic cracking had been investigated previously resulting in lower value of conversion as well as gasoline yield when applying co-feeds at higher level of vegetable oils. Cracking feedstock containing triglyceride and fatty acid from vegetable oil is supposed to be the other possibility as a reason of conversion and yield changes. The research work is aimed to find out another way for gasoline yield upgrading in fluid catalytic cracking process using available catalyst by coprocessing of VGO with refined bleached deodorized palm oil (RBDPO) and small amount of palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD). The experimental work of cracking reaction was performed on fluid-bed reactor of ACE unit at temperature of 530 °C, nearly atmospheric pressure and catalyst-oil ratio of 5.5 g/g. Three kind of oil feeds were tested namely VGO, VGO mixed with 5% RBDPO and VGO added with 5% RBDPO-PFAD of mixing ratio 9:1. The cracking reaction results in gaseous and liquid products. The gaseous phase product was analyzed using online gas chromatography to detect light hydrocarbon components of C1, C2 and H2 as dry gas and hydrocarbon components of C3 and C4 as LPG. The liquid item was investigated through gas chromatography of simulated distillation to separate fluid components including gasoline, light cycle oil (LCO) and slurry oil. Carbon material placed on catalyst through cracking reaction was analyzed at regeneration step of spent catalyst passed through catalytic converter by online Infrared method. Coprocessing of VGO with 5% RBDPO and VGO with 5% RBDPO-PFAD can alter conversion and product yields. The presence of triglyceride and fatty acid in oil feeds during cracking reaction influence signifi- cantly to gasoline enhancement. Although this coprocessing work has shown initial phenomenon in accordance with hypothesis, further investigation is necessary to explore deeper in order to obtain an optimized process condition by various levels of coprocessing feed.
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