Zeolites reforming process

Pt-KBaL catalyst than over conventional reforming catalysts. However, the advantage diminishes as carbon number increases, so these technologies are primarily of interest for benzene production. It is therefore more efficient to complement conventional reforming with the zeolitic reforming process when a broader range of aromatic products is desired. Relatively large crystal size has been claimed to be beneficial for example in CP Chem s AROMAX process. Residual acidity on the catalyst has been shown to be detrimental [86]. 

Enciforming [National Chemical reforming] A petroleum reforming process that converts pyrolysis gasoline to mixtures of propane, butane, and aromatic hydrocarbons, thereby obviating the usual hydrogenation and solvent extraction processes. The catalyst is a ZSM-5-type zeolite containing both iron and a platinum metal. Developed by the National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India, since 1988, but not yet commercialized. 

Naphtha reforming catalysts are mostly based on metals (Pt, Pt-Re, Pt-lr, Pt-Sn, Pt-Re-Sn) supported on chlorinated-ALOs or on a KL zeolite. Non-acidic KL zeolite in combination with Pt has been applied in a new reforming process. The non-acidic zeolite support inhibits undcsircd isomerization and hydrocracking reactions leading to enhanced aromalization selectivities [69]. Besides the absence of acidity, the presence of highly dispersed Pt clusters inside the zeolite channels and the shape-selective effects imposed by the monodirectional channel structure (0.71 nm diameter) of the zeolite may also contribute to the excellent aromatization performance of Pt/KL catalysts. 

The efficiency of the catalytic reforming process is determined by the relationship between the octane number (ON) and the liquid yield. For improvement of the ON of reformates the n-alkanes can be hydrocracked shape-selectively on narrow-pores zeolites, i.e. in case of the Selectoforming process (ref. 1) on metal containing H-erionite. During the past 15 years efforts were directed towards the integration of the shape-selective catalyst into the reforming unit (ref. 2). 

One of the first success of zeolites as catalysts, and the first commercial molecular shape selective catalytic process, was the use of erionite in a post-reforming process named selectoforming (39). Ihis 8 MR zeolite was able, based on the principle of size exclusion, to selectively crack the short chain n-parafiins to produce LPG. To avoid the deactivation by coke NiS was deposited on the zeolite. The erionite based catalyst is generally located at the bottom of the last reactor of the reformer unit and operates then at the reformer pressure, and at the temperature of the last reformer reactor. When more flexibility was to be achieved from the selectoforming, the catalyst is introduced... 

Several other important commercial processes need to be mentioned. They are (not necessarily in the order of importance) the low pressure methanol process, using a copper-containing catalyst which was introduced in 1972 the production of acetic add from methanol over RhI catalysts, which has cornered the market the methanol-to-gasoline processes (MTG) over ZSM-5 zeolite, which opened a new route to gasoline from syngas and ammoxidation of propene over mixed-oxide catalysts. In 1962, catalytic steam reforming for the production of synthesis gas and/or hydrogen over nickel potassium alumina catalysts was commercialized. 

Introduction of zeolites into catalytic cracking improved the quality of the product and the efficiency of the process. It was estimated that this modification in catalyst composition in the United States alone saved over 200 million barrels of crude oil in 1977. The use of bimetallic catalysts in reforming of naphthas, a basic process for the production of high-octane gasoline and petrochemicals, resulted in great improvement in the catalytic performance of the process, and in considerable extension of catalyst life. New catalytic approaches to the development of synthetic fuels are being unveiled. 

Catalytic reforming has become the most important process for the preparation of aromatics. The two major transformations that lead to aromatics are dehydrogenation of cyclohexanes and dehydrocyclization of alkanes. Additionally, isomerization of other cycloalkanes followed by dehydrogenation (dehydroisomerization) also contributes to aromatic formation. The catalysts that are able to perform these reactions are metal oxides (molybdena, chromia, alumina), noble metals, and zeolites. 

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