Patent ID: 8597497

Claim:
A process for cracking a hydrocarbon-containing feedstock, comprising: providing a hydrocarbon-containing feedstock to a mixing zone, where the hydrocarbon-containing feedstock is selected to contain at least 20 wt. % hydrocarbons having a boiling point of greater than 538° C. as determined in accordance with ASTM Method D5307; providing a catalyst to the mixing zone; continuously or intermittently providing hydrogen to the mixing zone 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 the pressure within the mixing zone; continuously or intermittently separating at least a portion of the vapor from the mixing zone while retaining at least a portion of the hydrocarbon-depleted feed residuum in the mixing zone; apart from the mixing zone, condensing a liquid hydrocarbon-containing product that contains at least 90% of the atomic carbon initially contained in the hydrocarbon-containing feedstock and that contains less than 2 wt. % hydrocarbons having a boiling point of greater than 538° C. as determined in accordance with ASTM Method D5307 from at least a portion of the vapor separated from the mixing zone.