What is the function of a cracking furnace

Source：www.cnxinshiji.net Release date： 2024-12-10

Cracking furnace is a key equipment in the petrochemical industry, mainly serving the following functions: 1、 Regarding raw material cracking 1. Cracking large molecule hydrocarbons into small molecules The core function of a cracking furnace is to carry out cracking reactions of petroleum hydrocarbon raw materials (such as naphtha, ethane, propane, etc.) at high temperatures and appropri

Cracking furnace is a key equipment in the petrochemical industry, mainly serving the following functions:
1、 Regarding raw material cracking
1. Cracking large molecule hydrocarbons into small molecules
The core function of a cracking furnace is to carry out cracking reactions of petroleum hydrocarbon raw materials (such as naphtha, ethane, propane, etc.) at high temperatures and appropriate residence times. Taking naphtha as an example, it is mainly a mixture of various hydrocarbons. After high temperature treatment (usually around 750-900 ℃) in the cracking furnace, the large molecules of hydrocarbons will break down into small molecules of olefins and alkanes, such as ethylene, propylene, butadiene, etc. These small molecule compounds are important basic raw materials for the production of various chemical products.
For the cracking of ethane, the main reaction is the decomposition of ethane into ethylene and hydrogen at high temperatures, which can be efficiently carried out in the special reaction environment of the cracking furnace. Ethylene is the main raw material for synthesizing polyethylene plastics, and a large amount of polyethylene production worldwide relies on cracking furnaces to obtain ethylene from raw materials such as ethane every year.
2. Control the depth of cracking
The cracking furnace can correctly control the depth of the cracking reaction. By adjusting parameters such as temperature, pressure, and the residence time of the raw materials in the furnace, the desired degree of cracking of the raw materials can be achieved. For example, if you want to obtain more ethylene, you can increase the cracking temperature and shorten the residence time appropriately to promote the cracking of raw materials such as naphtha towards ethylene; If you want to increase the production of propylene at the same time, you can adjust the reaction conditions so that while the cracking reaction produces ethylene, there are also more intermediate products that can further react to produce propylene.
2、 Basic aspects of producing chemical raw materials
1. Provide a basic chemical raw material production platform
The olefins such as ethylene, propylene, and butadiene produced by cracking furnaces are the cornerstone of the production of numerous chemical products. Ethylene can be used to manufacture polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, ethylene oxide, etc; Acrylic is used for the production of polypropylene, acrylonitrile, etc; Butadiene is used for synthesizing synthetic rubber, etc. These chemical products are widely used in various industries such as plastics, fibers, and rubber, and are indispensable materials in modern industry and daily life.
For example, in the plastic industry, polyethylene is one of the most widely produced plastic varieties in the world, and ethylene obtained through cracking furnaces is a key raw material for producing polyethylene. From plastic bags and containers in daily life to plastic pipes in industry, polyethylene materials based on ethylene produced by cracking furnaces are indispensable.
2. Provide raw material guarantee for downstream industries
The stable operation of the cracking furnace ensures the supply of raw materials for the downstream chemical industry. In a large petrochemical complex, the products from the cracking furnace are transported to various downstream production units. If transported to the polymerization workshop for producing various polymers, or to the chemical synthesis workshop for manufacturing chemicals. This stable supply of raw materials is crucial for the sustainable development of the entire chemical industry chain, avoiding production interruptions caused by raw material shortages.
3、 Energy utilization aspect
1. Efficient energy utilization
The design of the cracking furnace fully considers the efficient utilization of energy. It adopts an excellent combustion system to improve heat transfer efficiency by optimizing the combustion process of the fuel. For example, in the design of furnace structure, special radiation tubes and convection sections are used to effectively transfer the heat generated by fuel combustion to the raw materials, reducing heat loss.
At the same time, some cracking furnaces also recycle and utilize the waste heat from high-temperature cracking gas. These high-temperature cracking gases contain a large amount of thermal energy. Through equipment such as heat exchangers, the heat can be used to preheat raw materials, generate steam, etc., improving the energy utilization efficiency of the entire production process and reducing production costs.

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