Platinum catalyst hydroforming and reactivation technique

Claim 1

A LOW-PRESSURE REGENERATIVE HYDROFORMING PROCESS FOR TREATING A PETROLEUM NAPHTHA OVER A HALOGEN-CONTAINING PLATINUM-ALUMINA CATALYST AND OBTAINING HIGH-OCTANE GASOLINE THEREFROM, WHEREIN SAID CATALYST IS MAINTAINED AT A HIGH LEVEL OF ACTIVITY OVER A SERIES OF HYDROFORMING AND REGENERATION CYCLES, WHICH PROCESS COMPRISES CONTACTING A PETROLEUM NAPHTHA WITH SUCH CATALYST IN THE PRESENCE OF HYDROGEN AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE HYDROFORMING RANGE AND A PRESSURE OF AT LEAST 50 POUNDS BUT LESS THAN ABOUT 500 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH GAGE, WITHDRAWING A LIQUID HYDROFORMED NAPHTHA STREAM AND A PRODUCT HYDROGEN GAS STREAM, RECYCLING THE PRODUCT HYDROGEN GAS STREAM TO THE NAPHTHA CONTACTING ZONE CONTAINING SUCH CATALYST, CONTINUING THE HYDROFORMING OF SAID NAPHTHA UNTIL THE CARBON CONTENT OF THE CATALYST DIMINISHES THE CATALYTIC PROPERTIES OF SAID CATALYST, DISCONTINUING SAID HYDROFORMING OPERATION, PURGING HYDROCARBONS FROM THE CATALYST, BURNING CARBON FROM THE CATALYST AT A TEMPERATURE OF BETWEEN ABOUT 750 AND 900*F. WITH A GAS STREAM CONTAINING OXYGEN, CONTACTING THE OXYGEN-TREATED CATALYST WITH A HYDROGEN-CONTAINING GAS AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE HYDROFORMING RANGE, WHEREBY OXIDES ON SAID CATALYST ARE REDUCED WITH THE CONCOMITANT PRODUCTION OF WATER, REMOVING WATER FROM SAID HYDROGEN GAS STREAM AND RECYCLING THE RESULTING GAS STREAM OF REDUCED WATER CONTENT TO THE NAPHTHA HYDROFORMING ZONE WHEREIN THE HYDROFORMING OPERATION IS RESUMED.