ABSTRACT
Hydrocracking is a more recently developed process than thermal cracking, visbreaking, and coking. In fact, the use of hydrogen in thermal processes was perhaps the single most significant advance in refining technology during the twentieth century (Bridge et al., 1981; Scherzer and Gruia, Dolbear, 1998). As noted in Chapter 6, hydrotreating, which includes hydrorefining (approximately 8,500,000 bbljday), and is dedicated to catalytic hydrotreating (approximately 28,100,000 bbljday), is a substantial portion of the total worldwide daily refinery capacity (approximately 81,500,000 bbl of oil). On a national basis, U.S. data are approximately 1,780,000 bbl/day hydrorefining and approximately I .900,000 catalytic hydrotreating out of a daily total refining capacity of approximately 16,500,000 bbljday (Radler, 1999). Add to these the respective worldwide and national totals of catalytic hydrocracking (approximately 4,020,000 bbl/day worldwide and approximately 1,423,000 bbl/day nationally), and the importance ofhydrocracking is placed into correct perspective as an extremely important aspect of refinery technology.
