{
  "name": "Standardized FCC Catalyst Analytical Test Methods and Physical Property Benchmarks",
  "description": "Comparative compilation of standard laboratory analytical test methods, measurement parameters, apparatus configurations, and commercial performance benchmarks for fresh and equilibrium fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) catalysts, compiled from ASTM International standards, EPA regulations, and manufacturer technical bulletins.",
  "page": "https://casrai.org/guides/fluid-catalytic-cracking-catalyst",
  "publisher": "CASRAI",
  "license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "dateModified": "2026-11-14T00:51:24Z",
  "temporalCoverage": "2024/2026",
  "spatialCoverage": "Global",
  "columns": [
    {
      "name": "Property or Test Parameter",
      "unit": "",
      "description": "Analytical measurement or standard testing protocol"
    },
    {
      "name": "Standard Method",
      "unit": "",
      "description": "Designated ASTM standard or regulatory specification"
    },
    {
      "name": "Test Conditions or Principle",
      "unit": "",
      "description": "Apparatus and operational parameters"
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical Fresh Catalyst Value",
      "unit": "various",
      "description": "Typical values for fresh commercial catalysts"
    },
    {
      "name": "Equilibrium Catalyst (E-Cat) Range",
      "unit": "various",
      "description": "Typical values observed in circulating refinery inventory"
    },
    {
      "name": "Primary Governing Authority",
      "unit": "",
      "description": "Standard issuing organization or regulatory agency"
    }
  ],
  "rows": [
    {
      "Property or Test Parameter": "Cracking Microactivity (MAT)",
      "Standard Method": "ASTM D3907 / D5154",
      "Test Conditions or Principle": "Fixed-bed quartz reactor, 4.0 g charge, 482 °C (900 °F), 1.33 mL standard VGO over 75 s",
      "Typical Fresh Catalyst Value": "75 to 85 wt% conversion (after standard steaming)",
      "Equilibrium Catalyst (E-Cat) Range": "65 to 75 wt% conversion",
      "Primary Governing Authority": "ASTM International Committee D32"
    },
    {
      "Property or Test Parameter": "Fluidized-Bed Cracking Activity",
      "Standard Method": "ASTM D7964",
      "Test Conditions or Principle": "ACE fluid-bed micro-reactor, variable cat-to-oil ratio 3 to 8, 510 to 540 °C",
      "Typical Fresh Catalyst Value": "70 to 82 wt% conversion",
      "Equilibrium Catalyst (E-Cat) Range": "60 to 72 wt% conversion",
      "Primary Governing Authority": "ASTM International Committee D32"
    },
    {
      "Property or Test Parameter": "Air Jet Attrition Index (AJI)",
      "Standard Method": "ASTM D5757",
      "Test Conditions or Principle": "50.0 g charge, 3-orifice 0.381 mm plate, 10.0 L/min air at 35% RH, 5 hr run",
      "Typical Fresh Catalyst Value": "",
      "Equilibrium Catalyst (E-Cat) Range": "Not applicable (fines lost in unit)",
      "Primary Governing Authority": "ASTM International Committee D32"
    },
    {
      "Property or Test Parameter": "Zeolite Y Unit Cell Size (UCS)",
      "Standard Method": "ASTM D3942",
      "Test Conditions or Principle": "Powder XRD with Si internal standard, cubic lattice constant a0",
      "Typical Fresh Catalyst Value": "24.50 to 24.55 Angstroms (USY)",
      "Equilibrium Catalyst (E-Cat) Range": "24.24 to 24.32 Angstroms",
      "Primary Governing Authority": "ASTM International Committee D32"
    },
    {
      "Property or Test Parameter": "Relative Zeolite Crystallinity",
      "Standard Method": "ASTM D3906",
      "Test Conditions or Principle": "Powder XRD integrated peak area of (331), (533), (642) vs reference NaY",
      "Typical Fresh Catalyst Value": "30 to 50 relative %",
      "Equilibrium Catalyst (E-Cat) Range": "15 to 30 relative %",
      "Primary Governing Authority": "ASTM International Committee D32"
    },
    {
      "Property or Test Parameter": "Total BET Surface Area",
      "Standard Method": "ASTM D3663",
      "Test Conditions or Principle": "Multipoint N2 physisorption at 77.3 K, P/P0 0.05 to 0.20",
      "Typical Fresh Catalyst Value": "220 to 380 m2/g",
      "Equilibrium Catalyst (E-Cat) Range": "110 to 180 m2/g",
      "Primary Governing Authority": "ASTM International Committee D32"
    },
    {
      "Property or Test Parameter": "Zeolite Micropore Volume",
      "Standard Method": "ASTM D4365",
      "Test Conditions or Principle": "t-plot analysis of N2 adsorption isotherm, de Boer statistical thickness",
      "Typical Fresh Catalyst Value": "0.08 to 0.16 cm3/g",
      "Equilibrium Catalyst (E-Cat) Range": "0.03 to 0.08 cm3/g",
      "Primary Governing Authority": "ASTM International Committee D32"
    },
    {
      "Property or Test Parameter": "Matrix Mesopore Surface Area",
      "Standard Method": "ASTM D4365",
      "Test Conditions or Principle": "t-plot high-thickness linear regression slope",
      "Typical Fresh Catalyst Value": "40 to 120 m2/g",
      "Equilibrium Catalyst (E-Cat) Range": "30 to 80 m2/g",
      "Primary Governing Authority": "ASTM International Committee D32"
    },
    {
      "Property or Test Parameter": "Apparent Bulk Density (ABD)",
      "Standard Method": "ISO 697 / ASTM D3665 variant",
      "Test Conditions or Principle": "Graduated cylinder settled mass per unit volume",
      "Typical Fresh Catalyst Value": "0.70 to 0.90 g/cm3",
      "Equilibrium Catalyst (E-Cat) Range": "0.85 to 0.98 g/cm3",
      "Primary Governing Authority": "ASTM International / Industry Standard"
    },
    {
      "Property or Test Parameter": "Regenerator Particulate Matter (PM)",
      "Standard Method": "EPA 40 CFR 60.102a(b)(1)",
      "Test Conditions or Principle": "Continuous parameter monitoring or stack sampling on regenerator exhaust",
      "Typical Fresh Catalyst Value": "Not applicable",
      "Equilibrium Catalyst (E-Cat) Range": "1.0 lb PM / 1,000 lb coke burned maximum",
      "Primary Governing Authority": "U.S. EPA (NSPS Subpart Ja)"
    },
    {
      "Property or Test Parameter": "Regenerator SO2 Emissions",
      "Standard Method": "EPA 40 CFR 60.102a(b)(3)",
      "Test Conditions or Principle": "CEMS on regenerator vent gas, 7-day rolling average",
      "Typical Fresh Catalyst Value": "Not applicable",
      "Equilibrium Catalyst (E-Cat) Range": "50 ppmv (or 90% reduction)",
      "Primary Governing Authority": "U.S. EPA (NSPS Subpart Ja)"
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "ASTM D3907 / D3907M Standard Test Method for Testing Fluid Catalytic Cracking Catalysts by Microactivity Test",
      "url": "https://www.astm.org/d3907_d3907m-19.html",
      "accessed": "2026-11-13"
    },
    {
      "title": "ASTM D5757 Standard Test Method for Determination of Attrition Characteristics of Fluid Catalytic Cracking Catalysts by Air Jet Attrition",
      "url": "https://www.astm.org/d5757-22.html",
      "accessed": "2026-11-13"
    },
    {
      "title": "ASTM D3942 Standard Test Method for Determination of the Unit Cell Dimension of a Faujasite-Type Zeolite",
      "url": "https://www.astm.org/d3942-19.html",
      "accessed": "2026-11-13"
    },
    {
      "title": "ASTM D4365 Standard Test Method for Determining Micropore Volume and Zeolite Area of a Catalyst",
      "url": "https://www.astm.org/d4365-19.html",
      "accessed": "2026-11-13"
    },
    {
      "title": "EPA 40 CFR Part 60 Subpart Ja Standards of Performance for Petroleum Refineries",
      "url": "https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/40/60.102a",
      "accessed": "2026-11-13"
    },
    {
      "title": "W. R. Grace & Co. Davison Refining Technologies Technical Guide",
      "url": "https://grace.com",
      "accessed": "2026-11-13"
    }
  ]
}