Cracking

What are the conditions for thermal cracking?

* High temperature (450-700°C)


* High pressure (around 70 atm)

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What products does thermal cracking produce?

* One alkane
* 1+ alkenes

What kind of alkanes does thermal cracking usually produce?

Linear

What are the conditions for catalytic cracking?

* Zeolite catalyst
* High temperature (525-750°C)
* Low pressure (1 atm)

What is the catalyst for catalytic cracking?

Zeolite

What are the products of catalytic cracking?

* Alkanes
* Cycloalkanes
* Aromatics

What alkanes does catalytic cracking mainky produce?

Branched alkanes

What are the benefits of thermal cracking?

* Produces more valuable shorter-chain alkanes
* Alkenes that are produced are used to make plastics

What is a disadvantage of thermal cracking?

* Expensive due to high temperature and pressure

What are the advantages to catalytic cracking?

* Produces more valuable shorter-chain alkanes
* The catalyst makes it cheaper and easier
* Produces mainly branched alkanes which are used for fuel

What is a disadvantage to catalytic cracking?

* Expensive as Zeolite needs replacing

What kind of catalyst is Zeolite?

Heterogeneous