This book is available in French under the title "Craquage catalytique des coupes lourdes (Le)".
1. Cracking catalysts past, present and future. 1.1. The general properties of catalysts. 1.2. Conventional cracking catalysts. 1.3. Zeolite cracking catalysts. 2. Physicochemical characteristics of hydrocarbon cracking. 2.1. Reaction scheme and reaction mechanism. 2.2. Thermodynamic and kinetic data. 2.3. Coke formation and coke removal. 3. The nature of the key operating variables or parameters and their effects on the performances of the reactor and regeneration section. 3.1. Definition of feed conversion. 3.2. Relationship between yields and conversion. 3.3. Usefulness of recycling. 3.4. Effect of the key operating variables on the conversion of the feed. 3.5. Effect of feed composition on performances in catalytic cracking. 3.6. Effect of the catalyst characteristics on conversion and yields. 3.7. Regeneration of catalysts and heat balance of the cracking unit. 4. Industrial catalytic cracking plants. 4.1. Moving bed cracking. 4.2. Fluidized bed cracking. 4.3. Advances in fluidized bed cracking. 4.4. Conclusion. References.