Abstract: A heavy feed, such as a resid which contains coke precursors and metals, is upgraded by dissolving a feed soluble metal alkoxide in the feed which is heated to a temperature sufficient to decompose the alkoxide, but below 450.degree. F. The alkoxide decomposition precipitates at least a portion of the coke precursors and metals out of the feed as a separate phase, thereby effectively removing them to form an upgraded feed. The upgraded feed, with or without the precipitate present, is then sent to a cat cracker or to other upgrading. When fed into a cat cracker, such as a FCC, the upgraded feed is converted to lower boiling liquids with less deactivation of the cracking catalyst than would occur if the metals and coke precursors remained in the feed, even with the precipitate present in the feed. In the cat cracker, the precipate which contains the alkoxide metal and coke precursors and metals from the feed, is converted into coke particles having a particle size smaller than the catalyst particles.

Abstract: Disclosed is a fluid catalytic cracking apparatus. The apparatus includes means for decreasing and increasing the slip velocity of a hydrocarbon reaction stream to further enhance catalytic cracking of the hydrocarbon within the reaction stream. The apparatus allows for control of residence time within both a riser and a collection and velocity reducing means to provide for more complete cracking of the hydrocarbon without leading to additional coking of the catalytic cracking catalyst.

Abstract: Disclosed is a fluid catalytic cracking process in which the catalytic cracking reaction takes place in a dilute phase, and the reaction product contains a reduced volume of off gas having a low concentration of SO.sub.x and NO.sub.x. The use of off gas, which is produced during a regeneration step, to strip entrained vapor from spent catalytic cracking catalyst acts to reduce SO.sub.x and NO.sub.x byproducts, and eliminates the need to separately recover and treat the off gas stream from the regenerator portion of the system. The entire process, including the reaction step, the stripping step and the regeneration step, can be performed in a single vessel, and the stripping and reaction steps take place entirely in the dilute phase.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system for fluid catalytic cracking. The system includes a method and means for decreasing and increasing the slip velocity of a hydrocarbon reaction stream to further enhance catalytic cracking of the hydrocarbon within the reaction stream. The system also allows for control of residence time within both a riser and a collection and velocity reducing means to provide for more complete cracking of the hydrocarbon without leading to additional coking of the catalytic cracking catalyst.

Abstract: Disclosed is a fluid catalytic cracking system in which the catalytic cracking reaction takes place in a dilute phase, and the reaction product contains a reduced volume of off gas having a low concentration of SO.sub.x and NO.sub.x. The use of off gas, which is produced during a regeneration step, to strip entrained vapor from spent catalytic cracking catalyst acts to reduce SO.sub.x and NO.sub.x byproducts, and eliminates the need to separately recover and treat the off gas stream from the regenerator portion of the system. The entire process, including the reaction step, the stripping step and the regeneration step, can be performed in a single non-partitioned vessel.

Abstract: A catalytic cracking process and apparatus wherein particles of cracking catalyst circulate continuously between a reaction zone and a regeneration zone and hot regenerated catalyst from the regeneration zone contacts hydrocarbon feed in the reaction zone to produce cracked hydrocarbon products and spent catalyst. The spent catalyst is recovered and subjected to stripping in a stripping zone to remove strippable material therefrom. The stripped spent catalyst is circulated to the regeneration zone for oxidative exothermic regeneration. Some hot regenerated catalyst is passed directly from the regenerator to the stripping zone via a conduit provided for this purpose. Another hydrocarbon stream is passed into contact with the hot regenerated catalyst in this conduit. The said other hydrocarbon stream is converted to products of enhanced value (e.g., olefins) during contact with catalyst in the conduit, and the said products are recovered.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improvement in separating a mixture of two distinct fluid phases of the same or different materials, one dispersed in the other, by ejecting a flowing stream of the mixed fluid phases from a conduit and then deflecting the ejected stream radially outwardly whereby centrifugal and gravitational forces cause the flowing stream to separate with the less dense phase of the two phases forming a top layer and the more dense phase forming a bottom layer and thereafter directing the more dense phase to flow into a conduit leading to a separate chamber.

Abstract: The present invention contemplates an improved grid for fluid bed reactors which minimizes catalyst coking in fluidized catalytic cracking operations by shedding catalyst dispersed through the grid from feed risers located therebelow. Indeed, the grid has a central portion containing a plurality of orifices therein and a downwardly extending annular ring portion for shedding catalyst outwardly and downwardly for collection and removal from the reactor vessel.In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the grid consists of a convex upper grid and a concave lower plate joined together and defining a disengaging zone therebetween. At least one riser opens into the disengaging zone for introducing the material to be fed into and separated in the reactor. The upper grid includes a solid annular ring which extends outwardly and downwardly from the point at which the upper grid and the lower plate are joined.