Reactivation of a platinum group catalyst composite employed in the refroming of a naphtha

Claim 1

IN A REFORMING PROCESS WHICH COMPRISES CONTACTING A NAPHTHA WITH A FLUIDIZED MASS OF FINELY DIVIDED CATALYST COMPRISING A CATALYTIC ELEMENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF PLATINUM AND APLLADIUM SUPPORTED ON A CARRIER SELECTED FROM A GROUP CONSISTING OF SILICA, ALUMINA, TITANIA, THORIA, ZIRCONIA, PUMICE, KISELGUHR, FULLER''S EARTH, MAGNESIA, SILICA-ALUMINA AND SILICA-MAGNESIA AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 800 TO 950*F., A WEIGHT SPACE VELOCITY OF ABOUT 0.25 TO ABOUT 5, IN THE PRESENCE OF ADDED HYDROGEN IN THE AMOUNT OF 0.5 TO ABOUT 20 MOLS OF HYDROGEN PER MOL OF NAPPTHA, AT A TOTAL PRESSURE OF ABOUT 100 TO 700 P.S.I.G., AND AT A CATALYST TO OIL RATIO OF 0.1 TO ABOUT 10 MOLS, SUCH THAT A REFORMED LIQUID PRODUCT IS OBTAINED AND A CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL IS DEPOSITED ON THE CATALYST THEREBY DECREASING THE CATALYTIC PROPERTIES OF THE CATALYST; THE METHOD FOR IMPROVING THE CATALYTIC PROPERTIES OF THE USED CATALYST WHICH INCLUDES THE STEP OF TREATING THE USED CATALYST WITH AN OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS HAVING AN OXYGEN PRESSURE OF ABOUT 5 TO ABOUT 200 P.S.I.A., AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 800 TO ABOUT 900* F. FOR A PERIOD SUFFICIENT TO RESTORE A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE CATALYTIC PROPERTIES OF THE USED CATALYST.