DAO from propane de-asphalting has the highest quality but lowest yield, whereas using pentane may double or triple the yield from a heavy feed, but at the expense of contamination by metals and carbon residues that shorten the life of downstream cracking catalysts.
The choice between DAO from propane de-asphalting and pentane-based processing hinges on balancing product quality with yield potential. While DAO yields the highest-quality product with the lowest output, using pentane can double or triple yield but at the risk of contamination that shortens the lifespan of cracking catalysts.