Abstract
The purpose of this research was to determine how much, if any, improvement would be made by subjecting hydrogenated shale-oil naphtha to a catalytic reforming process. Preselected ranges of temperature and pressure within the commercial reforming ranges were chosen for investigation and other possible variables were held constant. All tests were made with a liquid hourly space velocity of 3 volumes of liquid feed per volume of catalyst per hour (vf/vc/hr) and a hydrogen feed rate of 3,000 scf/bbl. Operating temperatures of 850 deg, 875 deg, and 900 deg f were used at pressures of 200, 400, and 600 psig. The greatest octane improvement in the naphtha was obtained at a temperature of 900 deg f and pressure of 200 psig. The reformed naphtha had a clear research octane number of 89, a liquid yield of 80 vol-pct, and a yield-octane number of 71.1. The data indicate that a higher temperature could have produced a higher yield-octane number. Work done in cooperation with the University of Wyoming.
