Separation of hydrogen from a catalytic reforming zone effluent stream

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 recycle hydrogen, said reforming zone being maintained at reforming conditions including a pressure of from about 50 to about 250 psig 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 hydrogen-rich vapor phase and a liquid hydrocarbon phase comprising the heavier hydrocarbon conversion products; (c) compressing one portion of said vapor phase to said reforming pressure and recycling the same to said reforming zone in admixture with the hydrocarbonaceous feedstock initially charged thereto to provide substantially all of said recycle hydrogen in accordance with step (a); (d) compressing the balance of said hydrogen-rich vapor phase to a high pressure relative to said reforming pressure; (e) admixing the vapor phase from step (d) with at least a portion of the liquid hydrocarbon phase from step (b) at said relatively high pressure; (f) treating the resulting mixture in a second gas-liquid separation zone at said relatively high pressure and forming a vapor phase comprising a relatively pure net hydrogen product and a liquid hydrocarbon phase comprising hydrocarbon conversion products; (g) discharging the net hydrogen product from the reforming process; and, (h) introducing the liquid hydrocarbon phase into a fractionation column at conditions to produce an overhead fraction comprising light hydrocarbon conversion products, and a higher boiling fraction comprising the heavier hydrocarbon conversion products.