Catalytic Steam Cracking ofn-Heptane with Special Reference to the Effect of Calcined Dolomite

The catalyzed steam cracking of n -heptane was carried out using a fixed-bed reactor and different, commercially available limestone [CaCO 3 ], dolomites [CaMg(CO 3 ) 2 ], and NiMo/γ-Al 2 O 3 as the catalysts. The steam cracking of n -heptane was investigated by variation of water and n -heptane partial pressure and by the additions of hydrogen and carbon dioxide to the water vapor at a total pressure of 101.3 kPa. In the presence of calcined dolomite (1073 K), the partial pressure of water vapor ( p H 2 O = 9.1−34.2 kPa) enchances cracking efficiency, whereas hydrogen ( p H 2 ≈ 33 kPa) and carbon dioxide (CO 2 = 39 vol %), when added to the cracking mixture (973 K), do suppress conversion of n -heptane.