Abstract: SINOPEC Research Institute of Petroleum Processing Co., Ltd. has developed a novel hierarchical pore catalyst named Min-Coke for efficient cracking of heavy oil with low coke formation. The catalyst demonstrates exceptional properties, such as a high specific surface area, elevated meso- and macro-pore ratios, and robust resistance to metal contamination. These characteristics enhance feedstock and product diffusion while improving accessibility to active sites, leading to significantly improved heavy oil cracking performance. Industrial trials of Min-Coke were carried out on the No. 2 fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit at SINOPEC Jinan Company. Benchmarking results revealed notable improvements compared to baseline data: gasoline yield increased by 1.35 percentage points, combined gasoline and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) yield rose by 2.44 percentage points, and total liquid product yield improved by 1.99 percentage points. Light olefin yields (ethylene, propylene, and butylene) increased by 1.18 percentage points—a gain exceeding 10%. Most strikingly, coke yield decreased by 1.92 percentage points, representing a reduction of over 15%. Statistical analysis further indicated that, even with a 1 percentage point increase in feedstock carbon residue, higher proportions of graded-pore catalyst in the inventory correlated with marked improvements in gasoline yield. Simultaneously, diesel yield declined, dry gas production trended downward, and coke yield decreased by nearly 1 percentage point. Additionally, the olefin content in gasoline was substantially reduced. These findings conclusively demonstrate Min-Coke’s superior ability to optimize product distribution, particularly through enhanced gasoline yield and reduced coke formation, thereby advancing heavy oil cracking efficiency.

Key words: heavy oil catalytic cracking, high carbon residue feedstock, Min-Coke catalyst, coke yield, commercial application