Hydroreforming process

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE CATALYTIC REFORMING OF NAPTHA RANGE HYDROCARBONS WHICH COMPRISES PREHEATING SAID HYDROCARBONS TO A TEMPERATURE SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW THE THERMAL CRACKING TEMPERATURE THEREOF, CONTACTING SAID HEATED HYDROCARBONS IN ADMIXTURE WITH HYDROGEN WITH A PLATINUMALUMINA REFORMING CATALYST MAINTAINED IN A FIXED-BED REFORMING ZONE UNDER REFORMING CONDITIONS OF TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE, INCLUDING A TEMPERATURE ABOVE 900* F., AND TEMPERATURE BEING SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVE THE TEMPERATURE TO WHICH SAID HYDROCARBONS ARE PREHEATED, SEPARATING A HYDROGEN-RICH GAS FROM THE REFORMING PRODUCT, RECYCLING A PORTION OF SAID GAS TO SAID REFORMING ZONE, BURNING ANOTHER PORTION OF SAID GAS AND INTRODUCTING THE RESULTING HOT COMBUSTION GAS DIRECTLY INTO THE REFORMING ZONE SEPARATELY FROM SAID NAPHTHA IN AN AMOUNT AND AT A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN SAID REFORMING ZONE AT SAID REFORMING TEMPERATURE ABOVE 900* F.