Hydrocarbon steam cracking

Steam cracking involves the pyrolysis of saturated hydrocarbons from natural gas or oil, in the presence of steam.

It produces primarily ethylene, but also propylene and secondarily, depending on the feedstock used, a butadiene-rich C ₄ cut and a C _{5 +} cut (hydrocarbons with five or more carbons) with a high aromatic content, particularly benzene. This inventory does not take into account the light or heavy constituents which, within the steam cracking process itself, constitute a significant source of energy and ensure its autonomy in this respect. The diversity of the products produced by steam cracking makes it a key unit, around which the complex of industrial organic chemistry facilities, which use the base hydrocarbons produced, will be grafted.