The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 21, 1976
Filed:
Sep. 23, 1974
David J Yates, Westfield, NJ (US);
Exxon Research and Engineering Company, Linden, NJ (US);
Abstract
The instant invention relates to a process for activating iridium-containing catalysts, said catalysts being inactive because of the presence of the iridium as large crystallites of low activity, and which comprises the step of contacting said catalyst with a halogen-containing gas in the presence of from 0.01 to 10% by volume oxygen, at a temperature of at least 300.degree.C. for a time sufficient to redisperse said large crystallites to crystallites having a substantially smaller particle size. Preferably, the catalyst is a reforming catalyst comprising iridium supported on alumina. In the most preferred embodiment of the instant invention an iridium: platinum on alumina catalyst, which has become deactivated by use in a reforming process wherein carbonaceous materials have deposited on the surface of the catalyst, is regenerated by (1) burning off said carbonaceous deposits by contacting said catalyst with oxygen at a temperature of at least 300.degree.C. for a time sufficient to substantially remove said carbonaceous materials, (2) contacting said catalyst with hydrogen at a temperature and time sufficient to reduce said iridium and platinum substantially to metallic form, and (3) redispersing said metals by contacting said reduced catalyst with oxygen and a halogen-containing gas, e.g., chlorine, the oxygen being present in an amount of less than 10% oxygen by volume, at a temperature of at least 300.degree.C.