
Fluid Catalytic Cracking can be defined as a secondary chemical conversion process that breaks down the hydrocarbon fractions present in crude oil into simpler fractions that can be commercially utilized such as olefinic gases, gasoline and various other important petroleum based products. This is basically a secondary petroleum refining process where a specific fraction of crude oil with a boiling point of 340 degree Celsius or more is introduced as the feedstock to the fluid catalytic cracking process. The reaction is initiated and then further augmented in the refinery by the combination of heated crude oil and activated fluid catalytic cracking catalysts such as zeolites and lanthanum oxide. The catalyst introduced into the fluid catalytic cracking reaction should be able to maintain its chemical composition at high temperature and pressure, have large surface area and pore pits, should not produce by-products such as coke by itself and must be able to initiate reaction at a high rate. Fluid catalytic cracking catalysts are made up of four major components namely a catalytic site, which provides most of the catalytic reaction, a matrix site providing additional catalytic activity along with the main catalytic site and binders & fillers, which equip the catalysts with necessary physical strength holding the catalytic sites together. In order to extract the full potential of fluid catalytic cracking catalysts, it is very important that the feedstock must be devoid of any metallic contaminants.