Cracking is a process in organic chemistry that involves breaking down large hydrocarbon molecules into smaller and more useful ones/Alkanes/Synthesis_of_Alkanes/Cracking)). This process is used to turn longer-chain hydrocarbons into more economically valuable shorter-chain alkanes and alkenes. Cracking can be done thermally or catalytically, and the rate of cracking and the end products are strongly dependent on the temperature and presence of catalysts). There are different types of cracking, including:
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Thermal Cracking: This process involves applying extreme heat and pressure to alkanes for a brief period, typically only one second. This splits the alkane into two free radicals, which are highly reactive molecules with an unpaired outer shell electron. Free radicals then react to produce various hydrocarbons, especially alkenes.
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Catalytic Cracking: This process uses a catalyst to break down hydrocarbons into smaller molecules. Modern cracking uses zeolites as the catalyst, which are complex aluminosilicates that can remove a hydrogen from an alkane together with the two electrons which bound it to the carbon. That leaves the carbon atom with a positive charge/Alkanes/Synthesis_of_Alkanes/Cracking).
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Hydrocracking: It is a catalytic cracking process that uses hydro cracking to break C – C bonds. Products produced by this process include diesel, jet fuel, and LPG.
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Steam Cracking: It is a petrochemical process that involves the breakdown of saturated hydrocarbons into smaller unsaturated hydrocarbons.
Cracking is a largely random process, and it is impossible to predict exactly which molecules will be produced. However, both types of products are much more useful to us than the original longer-chain hydrocarbons.
