Separation of normally gaseous hydrocarbons from a catalytic reforming effluent and recovery of purified hydrogen

Claim 1

A process for the catalytic reforming of a hydrocarbonaceous feedstock which comprises the steps of: (a) contacting said feedstock with a reforming catalyst in a reforming zone in the presence of hydrogen at reforming conditions to produce an effluent stream comprising hydrogen admixed with hydrocarbon conversion products; (b) separating said effluent in a first gas-liquid separation zone at a low pressure relative to said reforming zone and forming a gaseous phase comprising hydrogen admixed with light hydrocarbon conversion products and a liquid hydrocarbon phase comprising the heavier hydrocarbon conversion products; (c) compressing the gaseous phase from step (b) to a high pressure relative to said first gas-liquid separation zone; (d) admixing the gaseous phase from step (c) with at least a portion of the liquid hydrocarbon phase from step (b); (e) separating the resulting mixture in a second gas-liquid separation zone at said relatively high pressure and forming a gaseous phase comprising relatively pure hydrogen and a liquid hydrocarbon phase; (f) recycling a portion of the gaseous phase from step (e) to said reforming zone; (g) compressing the balance of the gaseous phase from step (e) to a pressure of from about 300 to about 800 psig.; (h) admixing the gaseous phase from step (g) with at least a portion of the liquid hydrocarbon phase from step (e); (i) separating the resulting mixture in a third gas-liquid separation zone at a pressure of from about 300 to about 800 psig. and forming a purified hydrogen stream and a liquid hydrocarbon stream comprising the hydrocarbon conversion products; (j) recovering the purified hydrogen stream; and, (k) introducing the liquid hydrocarbon stream into a fractionation zone at conditions to produce an overhead fraction comprising light hydrocarbon conversion products and a higher boiling reformate fraction comprising the heavier hydrocarbon conversion products.