Siberian Federal University

The composition of the products of thermal and catalytic cracking of mixtures of deasphaltened crude oil (DAO) or maltenes with 0, 8, 12, 16 % of asphaltenes was studied. Cracking was carried out in a batch reactor at a temperature of 450 °C for 2 hours. Microsized NiCrWC powder as an additive for catalytic cracking was used. Data on the composition of products of cracking were obtained. It was found out that in the course of thermal and catalytic cracking of DAO mixtures with different content of asphaltenes the yield in gaseous and solid by-products increased with increase in their content. At the same time, the yield of distillate fractions ibp‑360 °C also increased, while the content of secondary resins and asphaltenes decreased. The structure of the initial asphaltenes undergone significant changes in the course of thermal and catalytic cracking. Hence, they decreased in size, became more aromatic and had a much lower number of alkyl substituents. It was noted that the addition of NiCrWC in the cracking of DAO mixtures with different asphaltene content did not significantly affect the destruction of asphaltenes and did not contribute to an increase in the yield of the ibp – 360 °C fraction