Addition of radical initiators to resid conversion processes

摘要

The present invention is predicated on the discovery that the addition of certain free radical initiators to thermal conversion processes results in increased thermal conversion rate at a given temperature without any substantial increase in the amounts of gaseous products formed. This permits operating the thermal conversion process at lower temperatures than otherwise practical. Indeed, the present invention is especially useful in thermal cracking processes like fluid coking. In this embodiment, a free radical initiator is added, without the addition of a hydrogen donor diluent, to a feedstock which is thermally cracked in a fluidized bed of particulate solids and at lower temperatures than otherwise employed, thereby increased amounts of liquid products are obtained.