Direct catalytic cracking of crude oil-to-chemicals: Impact of steam catalytic cracking on petrochemicals yield

• Steam catalytic cracking significantly increased light olefin yields (up to 51.5%) over modified ZSM-5 catalysts compared to non-steam cracking. • The presence of steam enhanced conversion, shifted product distribution towards olefins, and naphtha fraction by suppressing the secondary reactions. • Steam reduced coke formation, improving catalyst efficiency and extending catalyst life. The direct catalytic cracking of crude oil to valuable petrochemicals has drawn significant attention due to its potential to streamline refinery processes as a way of reducing the carbon footprint of petrochemicals production. Petrochemicals like light olefins and BTX are essential feedstocks for the petrochemical industry. This study extends the scope of FCC technology by exploring the direct catalytic cracking of Arabian Extra Light (AXL) crude oil, using spray dried FCC-ZSM-5 modified with La and Ce oxides, in non-steam and steam conditions. The performance of the catalysts was evaluated based on the yield and selectivity of light olefins and BTX. The yield of light olefins for thermal cracking, catalytic cracking and steam catalytic cracking at 675 °C was 36.0 wt%, 43.3 wt% and 51.5 wt%, respectively. The study demonstrated that steam catalytic cracking using FCC-ZSM-5 (impregnated with 1%La and 1%Ce oxides) offered significant advantage over non-steam catalytic cracking. The presence of steam enhanced the conversion and shifts product distribution towards light olefins. Steam also modified the cracking mechanism by minimizing secondary reactions, reducing coke formation, and enhancing selectivity toward olefins. The findings in this study contribute to the development of efficient catalyst and process for the direct conversion of crude oil into high-value petrochemicals.