Patent ID: 8597496

Claim:
A process for cracking a hydrocarbon-containing feedstock, comprising: continuously or intermittently providing hydrogen to a mixing zone; providing a metal-containing catalyst to the mixing zone; selecting a hydrocarbon-containing feedstock containing at least 20 wt. % hydrocarbons having a boiling point of greater than 538° C. as determined in accordance with ASTM Method D5307; continuously or intermittently providing the hydrocarbon-containing feedstock to the mixing zone at a selected rate and blending the hydrogen, the hydrocarbon-containing feedstock, and the catalyst in the mixing zone at a temperature of from 375° C. to 500° C. and at a total pressure of from 6.9 MPa to 27.5 MPa to produce: a) a vapor comprised of hydrocarbons that are vaporizable at the temperature and the pressure within the mixing zone, and b) a hydrocarbon-depleted feed residuum comprising hydrocarbons that are liquid at the temperature and pressure within the mixing zone, where the combined volume of the hydrocarbon-depleted feed residuum, the catalyst, and the hydrocarbon-containing feedstock in the mixing zone define a mixture volume in the mixing zone, wherein the rate at which the hydrocarbon-containing feedstock is provided to the mixing zone is selected to be at least 350 kg/hr per m 3 of the mixture volume in the mixing zone; and separating at least a portion of the vapor from the mixing zone while retaining in the mixing zone at least a portion of the hydrocarbon-depleted feed residuum and at least a portion of the catalyst, wherein the vapor separated from the mixing zone comprises at most 5 wt. % solids and liquids at the temperature at which the vapor is separated from the mixing zone.