Regeneration process

Claim 1

A METHOD OF HYDROFORMING HYDROCARBON FRACTIONS WHICH COMPRISES PASSING HYDROCARBONS AND HYDROGEN-CON TAINING RECYCLE GAS IN CONTACT WITH FINELY DIVIDED HYDROFORMING CATALYST PARTICLES CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A CATALYTIC COMPONENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF MOLYBDENUM OXIDE AND CHROMIUM OXIDE DISPERSED UPON AN ALUMINA-CONTAINING SUPPORT MAINTAINED UNDER ACTIVE HYDROFORMING CONDITIONS OF ELEVATED TEMPERATURES AND PRESSURES, CONTINUOUSLY SUBJECTING A PORTION OF THE CATALYST INVENTORY TO REGENERATION IN A SEPARATE REGENERATION ZONE AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURES AND AT SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME PRESSURE AS IS MAINTAINED IN THE HYDROFORMING REACTION ZONE, CONTINOUSLY RECYCLING REGENERATED CATALYST TO THE REACTION ZONE, WITHDRAWING A RELATIVELY SMALL AMOUNT OF CATALYST FROM THE REGENERATION ZONE, DISCHARGING THE WITHDRAWN REGERNERATED CATALYST INTO A SEPARATE TREATING ZONE.. REDUCING THE PRESSURE ON THE CATALYST IN SAID TREATING ZONE TO SUBSTANTIALLY ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE, PASSING DRY AIR AT SUBSTANIALLY ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE OVER SAID CATALYST AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 1000 TO 1200*F. UNTIL IT IS SUBSTANTIALLY FREED OF ADSORBED WATER, SULFUR COMPOUNDS AND /OR CARBON OXIDES, REPRESSURING THE TREATED CATALYST PARTICLES TO THE PRESSURIZED SYSTEM PRESSURE AND REINTRODUCING THE TREATED CATALYST TO THE PRESSURIZED SYSTEM FOR RECIRCULATION THROUGH THE REACTION AND REGENERATION ZONES.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF HYDROFORMING HYDROCARBON FRACTIONS WHICH COMPRISES PASSING HYDROCARBONS AND HYDROGEN-CON TAINING RECYCLE GAS IN CONTACT WITH FINELY DIVIDED HYDROFORMING CATALYST PARTICLES CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A CATALYTIC COMPONENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF MOLYBDENUM OXIDE AND CHROMIUM OXIDE DISPERSED UPON AN ALUMINA-CONTAINING SUPPORT MAINTAINED UNDER ACTIVE HYDROFORMING CONDITIONS OF ELEVATED TEMPERATURES AND PRESSURES, CONTINUOUSLY SUBJECTING A PORTION OF THE CATALYST INVENTORY TO REGENERATION IN A SEPARATE REGENERATION ZONE AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURES AND AT SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME PRESSURE AS IS MAINTAINED IN THE HYDROFORMING REACTION ZONE, CONTINOUSLY RECYCLING REGENERATED CATALYST TO THE REACTION ZONE, WITHDRAWING A RELATIVELY SMALL AMOUNT OF CATALYST FROM THE REGENERATION ZONE, DISCHARGING THE WITHDRAWN REGERNERATED CATALYST INTO A SEPARATE TREATING ZONE.. REDUCING THE PRESSURE ON THE CATALYST IN SAID TREATING ZONE TO SUBSTANTIALLY ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE, PASSING DRY AIR AT SUBSTANIALLY ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE OVER SAID CATALYST AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 1000 TO 1200*F. UNTIL IT IS SUBSTANTIALLY FREED OF ADSORBED WATER, SULFUR COMPOUNDS AND /OR CARBON OXIDES, REPRESSURING THE TREATED CATALYST PARTICLES TO THE PRESSURIZED SYSTEM PRESSURE AND REINTRODUCING THE TREATED CATALYST TO THE PRESSURIZED SYSTEM FOR RECIRCULATION THROUGH THE REACTION AND REGENERATION ZONES.