Reforming—Heterogeneous

B. DALLA COSTA; M.A. PERALTA; C.A. QUERINI

Encyclopedia of Catalysis

John Wiley & Sons, Inc

Año: 2010; p. 1 - 24

In this article, the fundamental aspects of the catalytic naphtha reforming process are presented. The more important reactions that take place in a reforming reactor are discussed in detail. The discussion includes the analysis of the reaction mechanisms, the kinetics and the thermodynamics, as well as the effect that the reaction has on the product quality, as indicated by the research octane number and the Reid vapor pressure. Reforming catalyst preparation is also presented. The most important bimetallic catalysts, such as platinum–rhenium, platinum–tin, platinum–iridium, and platinum–germanium, are compared. The particular features of the preparation of each of these catalysts are included in this article. The influence of catalyst composition, feed composition, and operational variables (temperature, pressure, hydrogen to hydrocarbon ratio) on catalyst deactivation is addressed. Also, the effect that different poisons (metals, sulfur, basic compounds) have on catalyst activity and regenerability is briefly reviewed. Finally, the general procedure for catalyst regeneration is presented.