What are the applications of cracking furnaces in the chemical industry

Source：m.shangyanwh.com Release date： 2025-08-18

Cracking furnace is the core equipment for producing basic organic chemical raw materials in the chemical industry. Its core function is to break down large molecule hydrocarbons (such as petroleum hydrocarbons and natural gas) into small molecule olefins, alkynes, etc. through "high-temperature thermal cracking", providing key raw materials for the subsequent chemical industry chain. Its applications are concentrated in the following core areas:
1. Petrochemical industry: Production of basic olefins (core application scenarios)
Petrochemical industry is the main application field of cracking furnaces, with the goal of cracking intermediate products after crude oil processing (such as naphtha, ethane, propane, diesel, etc.) into "chemical cornerstones" such as ethylene, propylene, butadiene, etc., including:
Ethylene production: Ethane and naphtha are the main raw materials, which are cracked at high temperatures of 800-900 ℃ in a cracking furnace. The generated ethylene is the core raw material for manufacturing polyethylene (plastic), ethylene glycol (chemical fiber raw material), and vinyl chloride (PVC raw material), accounting for more than 90% of the global ethylene production capacity.
Production of propylene: Co produced with ethylene or separately cracked with propane and refinery liquefied gas as raw materials, propylene is used to produce polypropylene (plastics), epichlorohydrin (building materials/household appliances raw materials), acrylic acid (coating raw materials), and is the second largest olefin after ethylene.
Co production by-products: During the cracking process, butadiene (rubber raw material), benzene, and toluene (aromatic hydrocarbons used in the production of chemical fibers and dyes) are also produced, achieving comprehensive utilization of raw materials.
2. Natural gas chemical industry: cracking and utilization of low-carbon raw materials
For low-carbon components in natural gas, such as ethane and propane, high-value conversion can be achieved through cracking furnaces, especially suitable for regions with abundant natural gas resources
Ethylene production through ethane cracking: Compared to naphtha cracking, ethane raw materials are purer and have lower carbon emissions. Cracking furnaces can produce high-purity ethylene with lower energy consumption, making it one of the mainstream routes for global ethylene production capacity expansion in recent years (such as shale gas production areas in North America).
Propane cracking to produce propylene: To supplement the propylene production capacity gap, especially when propane prices have cost advantages, efficient conversion can be achieved through dedicated cracking furnaces, resulting in high purity of propylene products suitable for polypropylene production.
3. Coal Chemical Industry: Chemical Conversion of Coal Resources
In areas with abundant coal resources, cracking furnaces are used in the "olefin preparation" stage of the coal chemical industry chain to achieve the conversion of coal into chemical raw materials
Coal to olefin (MTO/MTP) matching: First, coal is converted into methanol (coal to methanol), and then the methanol is sent to the "methanol cracking furnace" for cracking into ethylene (MTO process) or propylene (MTP process) under catalyst and high temperature conditions, breaking the dependence on petroleum resources. This is the core extension direction of coal chemical industry.
Utilization of coke by-products: The by-product of coke production in coal chemical industry, "coke oven gas" (containing methane and ethane), can be sent to the cracking furnace for further cracking, recovering ethylene, propylene, etc., and improving resource utilization efficiency.
4. Other specialty chemicals: Production of specialized chemicals
In addition to basic olefins, cracking furnaces are also used to produce some specialty chemical raw materials to meet specific industry needs
Acetylene production: Using natural gas or naphtha as raw materials, acetylene is generated through a "partial oxidation cracking furnace" (high temperature+oxygen participation) for the production of vinyl chloride (PVC), vinyl acetate (adhesive raw material), etc.
Special olefins/alkynes: By adjusting the temperature, pressure, and raw material ratio of the cracking furnace, a small amount of special small molecule hydrocarbons (such as isobutene and acetylene) can be produced for use in pharmaceutical intermediates, rubber, and other fields.

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