Catalytic reforming process

Claim 1

AN IMPROVED CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF A GASEOUS PRODUCT COMPRISING HYDROGEN AND CARBON MONOXIDE WHICH COMPRISES CONTINUOUSLY MAINTAINING A REACTION ZONE CONTAINING A REFORMING CATALYST COMPRISING AN EIGHTH GROUP METAL AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE BETWEEN ABOUT 1300* F. AND 2000* F., CONTINUOUSLY INTRODUCING INTO ONE EXTREME END OF SAID ZONE A STREAM COMPRISING A NORMALLY GASEOUS HYDROCARBON AND AN OXIDIZING GAS COMPRISING STREAM AND CAPABLE OF REACTING ENDOTHERMICALLY WITH SAID HYDROCARBON IN THE PRESENCE OF SAID CATALYST AT THE AFORESAID TEMPERATURE, INTRODUCING AT LEAST ONE FURTHER PORTION OF SAID HYDROCARBON INTO SAID ZONE AT THE SIDE THEREOF AT A POINT DOWNSTREAM FROM WHERE THE STREAM OF HYDROCARBON AND OXIDIZING GAS IN INTRODUCED AND IN A REGION WHERE THE TEMPERATURE IS IN EXCESS OF THAT PREVAILING AT SAID EXTREME END, THE AMOUNT OF OXIDIZING GAS IN THE FEED STREAM BEING IN SUBSTANTIAL EXCESS OF THE AMOUNT REQUIRED FOR CONVERSION TO CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN OF THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF HYDROCARBON FEED WHEREBY BOTH PORTIONS OF THE HYDROCARBON FEED REACT ENDOTHERMICALLY WITH THE OXIDIZING GAS AND THE TENDENCY OF THE REACTION TO DEPOSIT CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL ON THE CATALYST IS REPRESSED, AND CONTINUOUSLY RECOVERING THE GASEOUS PRODUCT FROM ADJACENT THE OTHER EXTREME END OF THE REACTION ZONE.