Hydrocarbon conversion with an acidic, sulfur-free trimetallic catalytic

Abstract

Hydrocarbons are converted by contacting them in a substantially sulfur-free environment at hydrocarbon conversion conditions with an acidic, sulfur-free trimetallic catalytic composite comprising a combination of catalytically effective amounts of a platinum group component, a tin or lead component, a nickel component and a halogen component with a porous carrier material. The platinum group component, tin or lead component, nickel component, and halogen component are present in the trimetallic catalyst in amounts respectively, calculated on an elemental basis, corresponding to about 0.01 to about 2 wt. % platinum group metal, about 0.01 to about 5 wt. % tin or lead, about 0.01 to about 5 wt. % nickel, and about 0.1 to about 3.5 wt. % halogen. Moreover, these metallic components are uniformly dispersed throughout the porous carrier material in carefully controlled oxidation states such that substantially all of the platinum group metal is present therein in the elemental metallic state, the major portion of the nickel component is present in the elemental metallic state, while substantially all of the tin or lead is present therein in an oxidation state above that of the elemental metal. A specific example of the type of hydrocarbon conversion process disclosed is a process for the catalytic reforming of a low-octane gasoline fraction wherein the gasoline fraction and a hydrogen stream are contacted in a substantially sulfur-free environment with the acidic, sulfur-free trimetallic catalyst disclosed herein at reforming conditions.