Abstract: A process combination is disclosed to selectively upgrade naphtha to obtain gasoline which is in accordance with current standards for reformulated fuels. A naphtha feedstock is fractionated to selectively direct light naphtha to isomerization or blending, a head-cut fraction to reforming, and a heavy potion to selective isoparaffin synthesis to yield light and heavy synthesis naphtha and isobutane. The heavy potion of the synthesis naphtha is processed by reforming. Light naphtha may be isomerized, with or without recycle of low-octane components of the product. A gasoline component is blended from light, synthesis, and reformate products from the process combination.

Abstract: An improved catalytic reforming process. The process is operated at high severity in order to obtain a reformate product having an enhanced octane rating. Higher octane reformate is required to compensate for the reduction or total elimination of lead-based additives used in motor gasoline for increasing octane rating, since reformate is a primary component of motor gasoline. High severity operation results in the formation of quantities of polycyclic aromatic compounds whose presence is highly undesirable. These compounds are removed from the vaporous products of the catalytic reforming process by adsorption on an appropriate material. It was totally unexpected to find that these very high molecular weight compounds are present in vapor streams comprised of hydrogen and light normally-gaseous hydrocarbons such as methane, ethane, and propane.