A method of cracking hydrocarbons

摘要

In a method of catalytically cracking hydrocarbons with oxygen or oxygen-containing gases with steam and/or carbon dioxide at a pressure between 5 and 40 atmospheres, the product gases are passed through the tubes of a waste heat boiler at at least 12 metres/second, and preferably at over 17 metres/second. Displacement bodies, e.g. iron rods or pipes, are suspended in the tubes to restrict the cross section and produce the required gas velocity. The invention prevents deposits, e.g. of carbon, SiO2, Al2O3 and Fe2O3, on the tubes which occur at lower velocities. In an example, refinery gas and butane was preheated with steam to 550 DEG C. and after mixing with air and oxygen cracked at 900 DEG C. over a nickel-containing catalyst, the product gases being passed downwardly through a boiler at 17 metres/sec.