3.3.2.2 cracking

• what are longer carbon chains broken down into?

  smaller, more useful molecules
• what are broken?


  the carbon-carbon bonds
• what does this bond breaking require?

  quite harsh reaction conditions
• what does thermal cracking produce?

  high proportion of alkanes and alkenes
• thermal cracking conditions 


  high temperatures (around 1200 K) and high pressure (around 7000 kPa)
• what does catalytic cracking produce?

  aromatic compounds with carbon rings
• catalytic cracking conditions 


  temperature of around 720K, normal pressure and a zeolite catalyst