Cracking is defined as a process where hydrocarbons having higher molecular weight and boiling points are converted to hydrocarbons having lower molecular weight and boiling points.
The objectives of cracking are as follows
- Petrol obtained by this process has good anti-knocking properties and higher octane number because the cracked petrol is rich in branched, unsaturated, aromatic hydrocarbon as compared to straight run petrol.
- The yield of the lower boiling point fraction can be increased by converting higher boiling point fraction to lower ones.