Patent ID: 7918991

Claim:
An improved process of reducing NO x emissions from the regeneration zone of a fluid catalytic cracking unit (FCCU) during fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) of a hydrocarbon feedstock into lower molecular weight components, said process comprising a) contacting a hydrocarbon feedstock with a circulating inventory of an FCC cracking catalyst which comprises a Y-type zeolite in a FCCU in the presence of an effective NO x reducing amount of a particulate NO x reduction composition having a mean particle size of greater than 4.5 μm and consisting essentially of at least about 30 weight percent of a NO x reducing zeolite having a pore size ranging from about 2 to about 7.2 Angstroms and a SiO 2 to Al 2 O 3 molar ratio of less than about 500, said zeolite being stabilized with a stabilizing amount of a metal or metal ion selected from the group consisting of zinc, iron and combinations thereof, from about 10 to about 30 weight percent of an inorganic binder, and optionally, no more than 70 wt % of at least one additional material selected from the group consisting of a filler, a matrix material and combinations thereof, wherein the particulate NO x reduction composition is present as a separate particulate additive and wherein and the amount of the NO x reduction composition in the catalyst inventory is that amount sufficient to provide a ratio of NO x reducing zeolite component to Y-type zeolite in the total catalyst inventory of less than 1; and b) reducing the amount of NO x emissions released from the regeneration zone of the FCCU as compared to the amount of NO x emissions released in the absence of the NO x reduction composition.