Abstract: In a reforming process wherein a feed naphtha is reformed, with hydrogen, over a reforming catalyst in a process unit, the improvement comprising the addition of infinitesimal, or small amounts of water or hydrogen halide, or both, or substance which can produce in situ water or hydrogen halide, or both, during the reforming operation to displace previously adsorbed sulfur, or to suppress the adsorption of sulfur by the catalyst to control the amount of sulfur added to the catalyst to a minimum effective level. It has been found, in the sequence of regeneration and reactivation, that the ability of a catalyst to operate in a hydrogenolysis mode can be effectively suppressed after the freshly prepared catalyst has been regenerated, and reactivated several times, generally above five times or more, by presulfiding the catalyst by the addition of a minimal amount of sulfur, preferably a maximum of about 0.01 weight percent sulfur on the catalyst.

Abstract: A process for reforming with hydrogen, or hydroforming, a naphtha in a cyclic reforming unit which contains a plurality of catalyst-containing on stream reactors in series, and a catalyst-containing swing reactor manifolded therewith which can be periodically placed in series and substituted for an on stream reactor while the latter is removed from series for regeneration and reactivation of the catalyst contained therein. In the process, a reactor which is next scheduled for regeneration and reactivation of its near deactivated catalyst is located immediately downstream next in series with a reactor which contains freshly regenerated, reactivated catalyst at the time the latter is initially put on stream so that sulfur released by the freshly regenerated, reactivated catalyst which occurs a short time after the upstream reactor has been returned to service, is adsorbed by the near deactivated catalyst of the reactor next requiring removal from the series for catalyst regeneration and reactivation.