Process for regenerating platinum catalyst in a reforming process

Claim 1

A REGENERATIVE REFORMING PROCESS CONSISTING OF THE STEPS OF PASSING A CHARGE MIXTURE CONSISTING OF VAPORIZED NAPHTHENIC HYDROCARBON BOILING WITHIN THE RANGE BETWEEN 150 AND 500*F. AND HYDROGEN AT AN INLET TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF 850 TO 1000*F. INTO CONTACT WITH A FIXED BED OF PLATINUM CATALYST IN A REACTION ZONE TO REFORM AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE HYDROCARBON IN THE CHARGE MIXTURE, CONTINUING THE FLOW OF THE CHARGE MIXTURE OVER THE PLATINUM CATALYST UNTIL SAID CATALYST HAS BEEN AT LEAST PARTIALLY DEACTIVATED BY THE DEPOSIT OF CARBONACEOUS METERIAL THEREON, DISCONTINUING THE FLOW OF THE CHARGE MIXTURE INTO THE REACTION ZONE AND CONTINUING TO FLOW HYDROGEN CONTAINING GASES INTO THE REACTION ZONE TO DISPLACE THE FEED HYDROCARBON FROM THE REACTION ZONE AND IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER PASSING FLUE GAS PREVIOUSLY SCRUBBED WITH CAUSTIC AND CONTAINING NO MORE THAN 2% CARBON OXIDES OVER SAID CATALYST TO DISPLACE THE COMPONENTS OF THE CHARGE MIXTURE THEREFROM, THEREAFTER IN TRODUCING FLUE GAS WHICH HAS NOT BEEN SCRUBBES WITH CAUSTIC INTO SAID REACTION ZONE AND ADMIXING CONTROLLED AMOUNT OF AIR WITH SAID FLUE GAS TO CAUSE COMBUSTION IN THE CATALYST BED WITH A COMBUSTION FLAME FRONT IN THE BED NOT OVER 1100*F. UNTIL THE CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL HAS BEEN BURNED FROM SAID BED. THEREAFTER PASSING FLUE GAS PREVIOUDLY SCRUBBED WITH CAUSTIC INTO SAID REACTION ZONE TO DISPLACE THE COMPONENTS OF THE COMBUSTION SUPPORTING MIXTURE OF FLUE GAS AND OXYGEN FROM SAID ZONNE. THEREAFTER CONTACTING THE BED WITH GAS CONTAINING FREE HYDROGEN AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENT TO COOL SAID CATALYST TO SAID INLET TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 850* TO ABOUT 1000*F. AND THEREAFTER INTRODUCING A CHARGE MIXTURE CONSISTING OF VAPORIZED NAPHTHENIC HYDROCARBON AND HYDROGEN AT A TEMPERTURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF 850 TO 1000*F. INTO THE REACTION ZONE INTO CONTACT WITH SAID ACTIVATED CATALYST TO REFORM AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID HYDROCARBON.