Process for cracking

Claim 1

A process for cracking hydrocarbon feedstocks consisting essentially of introducing a mixture of feedstock and hot gas into a reactor in which cracking temperatures are maintained, said reactor comprising: A. a hollow cylindrical tube having (i) a first end closure and a second end closure, at least one of said end closures being provided with an orifice disposed substantially centrally therein; and (ii) at least one hollow inlet feed chamber open at both ends passing through the cylindrical surface described by tube (A), one end of said feed chamber being disposed in the interior of the tube at about its periphery in such a manner that vapor, which is passed through said chamber, will flow substantially tangentially to the inner surface described by cylindrical tube (A), provided that rate of flow is sufficient therefor, creating a vortex-like flow within tube (A); and B. at least one hollow tube open at both ends; wherein: a. one end of tube (B) is connected to tube (A) at about its orifice in substantially concentric alignment therewith and in open communication with tube (A); b. tube (A) has a length to diameter ratio of about 0.01:1 to about 1:1, c. the ratio of the equivalent diameter of the orifice of tube (A) to the equivalent diameter of tube (B) is about 1:1 to about 0.1:1; d. tube (B) has a length to equivalent diameter of about 5:1 to about 200:1; and e. the ratio of the volume of tube (A) to the volume of tube (B) is about 0.1:1 to about 5:1; quenching the effluent from the reactor, and recovering the products of cracking.