Process for production of needle coke

A process for production of graphite/needle grade coke with reduced impurity levels and improved coefficient of thermal expansion, wherein the process comprises:

• (a) routing a VGO feed to a riser reactor of a fluid catalytic cracking unit, wherein the VGO feed reacts with a hot catalyst supplied from a regenerator;
• (b) sending products of reaction from step (a) along with a catalyst to a stripper for separation of a hydrocarbon vapor product from the catalyst;
• (c) sending the hydrocarbon vapor product to a first fractionator column for separation into different products like off gases with naphtha, LCO, and HCO;
• (d) mixing a VGO stream with H2 and sending to a furnace for heating;
• (e) sending hot feeds from step (d) to a fixed bed reactor, wherein the hydrotreatment of a vacuum gas oil occurs and reaction products are sent to a high-pressure separator where lighter gases are removed and sent to a low-pressure separator;
• (f) sending remaining liquid to a second fractionator column for further separation of lighter products;
• (g) routing a hydrotreated VGO stream from the second fractionator column to a bottom section of the first fractionator column, wherein it is mixed with a CLO product fraction generated in the fluid catalytic cracking unit;
• (h) heat exchange between the hydrotreated VGO stream and the CLO product fraction occurring in the bottom section of the first fractionator column and forming a homogenous mixture;
• (i) sending the homogenous mixture through a parallel filtration assembly for separation of entrained catalyst fines present coming through the CLO product fraction;
• and
• (j) routing the homogenous mixture after catalyst removal to a third fractionator column of a delayed coking section.