Improving the yield and quality of reformate via combined application of staged reforming and hydroisomerization

Abstract

Three process flowsheets combining the processes of catalytic reforming, interstage separation, and reformate hydroisomerization are considered to improve the yield and quality of reformate (i.e., reduce the content of aromatics, including benzene). It is shown that the process flowsheet with the distillation of the intermediate reformate into three fractions (IBP-85°C, 85–150°C, and EBP-150°C) is the best one, since it allows the production of high-octane gasoline compounds with a reduced benzene content (less than 1 wt %) at an appreciable increase in the yield of reformate (up to 4–5 wt %) and its research octane number (RON) (up to 2), in comparison to traditional (fixed-bed) catalytic reforming. Effective catalysts are selected for the reforming and reformate hydroisomerization stages and are used to perform experimental modeling of the considered flowsheets for the combined reforming–hydroisomerization process. The results confirm analytical estimates for the effectiveness of the developed technology.