Catalytic reforming

Abstract

Since the early 1940s, dual function catalysts have been converting lower octane, naphtha-range hydrocarbons into aromatics and higher octane blend stock for petrochemical and gasoline production while producing valuable hydrogen as a by-product. Early on, the associated technology became known as catalytic naphtha reforming to acknowledge that the desired products resulted from molecular rearrangement, reforming, of the reactants without alteration of their carbon number. Numerous improvements in catalyst and process technology have been commercialized over the past seven plus decades. Catalytic naphtha reformers remain key units in essentially every refinery and petrochemical plant throughout the world. This chapter provides an overview of catalytic naphtha reforming with sections on the role of catalytic naphtha reforming in the refining and petrochemical industries, naphtha feedstock characteristics, reforming reactions, reforming catalysts, catalyst contaminants, process and catalyst evolution, and catalyst regeneration.