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Catalytic reforming

Chemical process

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...with the second half of the 20th century, petroleum replaced coal as the principal source of aromatic hydrocarbons. The stability of the benzene ring makes possible processes, known generally as catalytic reforming, in which alkanes are converted to arenes by a combination of isomerization and dehydrogenation events.

crude oil

Oil refinery near Donaldsonville, Louisiana, U.S.
...most desirable gasoline components while minimizing the formation of unwanted heavy products and coke. (A catalyst is a substance that promotes a chemical reaction but does not take part in it.) In catalytic reforming, as in thermal reforming, a naphtha-type material serves as the feedstock, but the reactions are carried out in the presence of hydrogen, which inhibits the formation of unstable...


...Thermal reforming alters the properties of low-grade naphthas by converting the molecules into those of higher octane number by exposing the materials to high temperatures and pressures. Catalytic reforming uses a catalyst, usually platinum, to produce a similar result. Mixed with hydrogen, naphtha is heated and passed over pellets of catalyst in a series of reactors, under high...
catalytic reforming
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