Reforming of naphthas

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR THE CONVERSION OF A NAPHTHA HYDROCARBON FEED TO A PRODUCT RICH IN C6-C8 AROMATICS INVOLVING THE TREATMENT OF HYDROCARBON VAPORS WITH A FLUIDIZED HYDROFORMING CATALYST AND A RECYCLED HYDROGENCONTAINING GAS UNDER HYDROFORMING CONDITIONS OF TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE RESULTING IN THE GRADUAL FORMATION OF A CONTAMINATING CARBONACEOUS DEPOSIT ON THE SURFACE OF THE CATALYST, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES REMOVING FROM THE HYDROFORMING REACTION ZONE A PRODUCT VAPOR STREAM AND A STREAM OF SPENT FLUIDIZED CATALYST, ISOLATING FROM SAID PRODUCT VAPOR STREAM A STREAM OF HYDROGEN-CONTAINING RECYCLE GAS, A LIQUID PRODUCT STREAM RICH IN C6-C8 AROMATICS AND A SECOND LIQUID PRODUCT STREAM CONTAINING HYDROCARBONS CONVERTIBLE TO C6-C8 AROMATICS UNDER MORE SEVERE HYDROFORMING CONDITIONS OF TEMPERATURE AND CATALYST TO OIL RATIO, INTRODUCING SAID SPENT CATALYST INTO A FLUID BED MAINTAINED IN A SEPARATE REGENERATION ZONE AND REGENERATING THE CATALYST THEREIN TO REMOVE AT LEAST A PART OF SAID CARBONACEOUS DEPOSIT THEREFROM BY AN OXIDATIVE COMBUSTION PROCESS WHEREBY THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID CATALYST IS RAISED TO A LEVEL AT LEAST 150* F. HIGHER THAN THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID FIRSTMENTIONED HYDROFORMING REACTION, SEPARATELY HEATING SAID RECYCLE GAS STREAM TO AT LEAST THE SAME HIGH TEMPERATURE LEVEL, INJECTING SAID HOT REGENERATED CATALYST HOT RECYCLE GAS INTO A SECOND HYDROFORMING ZONE TOGETHER WITH SAID SECOND LIQUID PRODUCT STREAM WHEREBY AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE HYDROCARBONS THEREIN ARE CONVERTED TO C6-C8 AROMATICS AT SAID HIGHER TEMPERATURE UTILIZING THE SAME CATALYST AS IN THE FIRST REACTION ZONE, AND CONVEYING THE TOTAL REACTION MIXTURE FROM SAID SECOND HYDROFORMING ZONE DIRECTLY INTO SAID FIRST HYDROFORMING ZONE TOGETHER WITH FRESH HYDROCARBON FEED VAPORS TO SUPPLY THE CATALYST, RECYCLE GAS AND HEAT NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN THE HYDROFORMING REACTION THEREIN.