A process in which high molecular weight hydrocarbons are broken down into lower molecular weight products by the effect of high temperature in the presence of an alumina-silica catalyst. The process is used to produce gases such as methane, ethane, propylene, and propane that are the subsequent raw materials used for the manufacture of a wide range of products including of plastics, detergents, textiles, and agricultural chemicals. Thermal cracking uses high temperatures and pressures to break the molecular bonds to form smaller molecules. Catalytic cracking uses a catalyst to assist in the breakdown of the molecules. In a fluidized bed catalytic cracker, the catalyst is present as a bed of very fine particles which is agitated by the vaporized hydrocarbons as they pass up through the bed.