Simulation of the Catalytic Cracking Process for Styrene Production

A mathematical model is presented for simulating the steady-state catalytic dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene to styrene and other associated side reactions. The various differential equations describing the material and energy balances were integrated using a fourth-order Runge-Kutta method on an IBM 7090. Several runs on the computer were made to study the effect of change in feed rates, feed-to-steam ratio, and inlet temperature and pressure, on styrene yield. It is shown how, with the computer results, a profit equation for a particular plant may be derived for possible use in on-line optimization and control.