Upgrading of naphthas

Claim 1

A CONTINUOUS METHOD FOR UPGRADING A PETROLEUM NAPTHA WHICH COMPRISES CONTINUOUSLY SUBJECTING THE SAME TO REFORMING, CONTINUOUSLY REMOVING A FRACTION BOILING IN THE C2-C7 RANGE FROM THE RESULTING REFORMATE, CONTINUOUSLY CONTACTING SAID FRACTION, CONTAINING NORMAL PARAFFIN HYDROCARBONS AND HYDROCARBONS OF LARGER MOLECULAR SIZE, UNDER CATALYTIC CRACKING CONDITIONS WITH A CRACKING CATALYST COMPRISING A CRYSTALLINE ZEOLITE HAVING A UNIFORM PORE STRUCTURE OF SUFFICIENT SIZE TO AFFORD ENTRY INTO THE CATALYST STRUCTURE OF THE NORMAL PARAFFIN HYDROCARBON COMPONENTS WHILE EXCLUDING HYDROCARBON COMPONENTS OF LARGER MOLECULAR SIZE WHEREBY KSAID NORMAL PARAFFIN HYDROCARBON COMPONENTS ARE SELECTIVELY CRACKED TO A HIGHLY OLEFINIC LIGHT GASEOUS JPRODUCT AND A C5-C7 LIQUID PRODUCT SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF OLEFINS, HAVING AN INCREASED ISO TO NORMAL HYDROCARBON RATIO AND A HIGHER OCTANE NUMBER THAN SAID JKPETROLEUM NAPHTHA AND REBLENDING SAID LIQUID JPRODUCT WITH THE REMAINING REFORMATE TO YIELD A PRODUCT CHARACTERIZED BY A HIGHER OCTANE NUMBER THAN THE INITALLY FORMED REFORMATE.