Effect of rare earth element doping on catalytic performance of Pt-Sn/Al2O3 catalysts for naphtha reforming process

The effect of Ce doping on the performance and stability of Pt/γ-Al2O3 and Pt-Sn/γ-Al2O3 catalysts for hydrotreated naphtha reforming at 500℃, 5 bar, WHSV= 2 and H2/HCs = 4 was investigated. Gas chromatography was employed to measure the catalytic activity of the synthesized catalysts while thermogravimetry analysis characterized the regeneration process. The results showed that increasing the amount of Ce resulted in improved performance of catalyst in converting low octane paraffins to higher octane aromatics. In addition, the catalyst with Sn content and higher amount of Ce showed lower coke amount and required lower temperature to remove the deposited carbons.

Keywords:

catalyst , naphtha reforming , rare earth elements , coke deposition