Catalyst regeneration techniques in naphtha reforming: Short review

Catalytic reforming is an important intermediate in the processing of crude (naphtha in particular) to obtain gasoline. The catalyst used in the process (platinum) is quite expensive and may negatively impact the business if not used judiciously. The aforesaid not only refers to the reduction in loss of the catalyst per unit of gasoline produced but also to the manufacturing of an environmentally friendlier product alongside which is the need of the planet and also a necessity to meet the increasingly strict government norms. In order to meet the above requirements, various refineries around the world use various well-known conventional methods which depend on the quality and quantity of crude manufactured by them. This paper focuses on highlighting recent advancements in methods of catalytic regeneration (CR) in the reforming unit of petroleum industries to produce high octane gasoline, without any major replacements in their existing setup. Research papers formulated by the application of methodologies involving non-linear models and real-time refinery data have only been considered to avoid any deviations/errors in practical applications. In-depth analysis of these papers has led to the origin of some ideas which have been included as suggestions and can be considered as subjects of further research. In all, the objective of the paper is to serve as a reference for researchers and engineers working on devising optimum methods to improve the regeneration of reforming catalysts.