Process for regenerating and reactivating platinum catalyst in a reforming process

Claim 1

IN A REGENARATIVE PLATINUM REFORMING PROCESS WHEREIN VAPORIZED NAPHTHENIC HYDROCARBON FEED STOCK BOILING WITHIN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 150* TO 500*F. IS SUBJECTED TO REFORMING CONDITIONS IN A REATION ZONE IN CONTACT WITH A FIXED BED OF ALUMINA SUPPORTED PLATINUM CATALYST CONTAINING FROM ABOUT 0.1 TO ABOUT 3.0 WEIGHT PERCENT OF PLATINUM UNDER REFORMING CONDITIONS INCLUDING A HYDROGEN CHARGE RATE OF ABOUT 1000 TO 10,000 CUBIC FEET OF HYDROGEN PER BARREL OF NAPHTHENIC HYDROCARBON, A TEMPERATURE WITHIN A RANGE OF ABOUT 850* TO 1000* F., A PRESSURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 50 TO ABOUT 700 P.S.I. AND A SPACE VELOCITY WITHIN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 1 TO 4 VOLUMES OF NAPHTHENIC HYDROCARBON FEED PER VOLUME OF CATALYST PER HOUR TO REFORM AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE HYDROCARBONS IN SAID FEED STOCK AND WHEREIN SAID CONTACTING STEP IS CONTINUED UNTIL EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS HAVE BEEN DEPOSITED ON SAID CATALYST, THE IMPROVED METHOD FOR REGENERATING SAID BED OF CATALYST WHICH COMPRISES DISCONTINUING THE FLOW OF SAID CHARGE MIXTURE INTO SAID REACTION ZONE WHILE CONTINUING THE FLOW OF HYDROGEN-CONTAINING GASES INTO SAID REACTION ZONE UNDER REACTION CONDITIONS TO DISPLACE HYDROCARBON COMPONENTS OF SAID FEED STOCK FROM SAID REACTION ZONE OVER ABOUT A 30 MINUTE PERIOD, NEXT REDUCING THE PRESSURE IN SAID REACTION ZONE TO ABOUT ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE OVER ABOUT A 15 MINUTE PERIOD, MEXT DISCONTINUING THE FLOW OF SAID HYDROGEN-RICH GAS INTO SAID REACTION ZONE, NEXT REDUCING THE PRESSURE IN SAID REACTION ZONE OVER ABOUT A 15 MINUTE PERIOD TO ABOUT 5 INCHES OF MERCURY ABSOLUTE TO SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETELY REMOVE HYDROGEN FROM SAID REACTION ZONE, THEREAFTER INCREASING THE PRESSURE IN SAID REACTION ZONE TO ABOUT ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE OVER ABOUT A 15 MINUTE PERIOD AND INITIATING THE FLOW OF A FLUE THROUGH SAID REACTION ZONE, INCREASING THE PRESSURE IN SAID REACTION ZONE TO A PRESSUE OF ABOUT 200 TO 400 P.S.I.G. OVER ABOUT A 30 MINUTE PERIOD, NEXT ADMIXING A CONTROLLED AMOUNT OF AIR WITH SAID FLUE GAS WHILE RAISING THE TEMPERATURE IN SAID REACTION ZONE TO A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 750*F. TO CAUSE COMBUSTION OF SAID CARBONACEOUS DEPOSITS IN SAID CATALYST BED WITH A COMBUSTION FLAME FRONT IN THE BED OF AT LEAST 750*F. BUT NOT MORE THAN ABOUT 1100*F., NEXT DISCONTINUING THE FLOW OF AIR INTO SAID REACTION ZONE, NEXT, OVER ABOUT A 15 MINUTE PERIOD, REDUCING THE PRESSURE IN SAID REACTION ZONE TO ABOUT ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE, NEXT TERMINATING THE FLOW OF SAID FLUE GAS TO SAID REACTION ZONE AND REDUCING THE PRSSURE IN SAID REACTION ZONE TO ABOUT 5 INCHES OF MERCURY ABSOLUTE OVER ABOUT A 15 MINUTE PERIOD, NEXT INCREASING THE PRESSURE IN SAID REACTION ZONE TO ABOUT ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE OVER ABOUT A 15 MINUTE PERIOD AND RE-INITIATING THE FLOW OF HYDROGEN-CONTAINING GAS IN SAID REACTION ZONE WHEREBY SAID CATALYST IS SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETELY RESTORED TO ITS INITIAL ACTIVITY, NEXT REESTABLISHING SAID REFORMING CONDITIONS IN SAID REACTION ZONE TO REFORM ADDITIONAL QUANTITIES OF SAID NAPHTHENIC HYDROCARBON.