Gillespie, Ralph D.; Cohn, Michelle J.; Rosin, Richard R.; Rice, Lynn H.; Stine, Margaret A.;

Combination reforming and isomerization process

A reforming and isomerization process has been developed. A reforming feedstream is charged to a reforming zone containing a reforming catalyst and operating at reforming conditions to generate a reforming zone effluent. Hydrogen and an isomerization feedstream is charged into an isomerization zone to contact an isomerization catalyst at isomerization conditions to increase the branching of the hydrocarbons. The isomerization catalyst is a solid acid catalyst comprising a support comprising a sulfated oxide or hydroxide of at least an element of Group IVB, a first component being at least one lanthanide series element, mixtures thereof, or yttrium, and a second component being a platinum group metal or mixtures thereof. The reforming zone effluent is combined with the isomerization zone effluent to form a combined effluent stream and separated into a product stream enriched in C₅ and heavier hydrocarbons and an overhead stream enriched in C₄ and lighter boiling compounds.

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1. A process comprising:

charging a reforming feedstream to a reforming zone containing a reforming catalyst and operating at reforming conditions to generate a reforming zone effluent;

charging hydrogen and an isomerization feedstream comprising at least C₅-C₆ hydrocarbons into an isomerization zone to contact an isomerization catalyst at isomerization conditions to increase the branching of the feedstream hydrocarbons and produce the isomerization zone effluent comprising at least normal pentane, normal hexane, methylbutane, dimethylbutane, and methylpentane; wherein said isomerization catalyst is a solid acid catalyst comprising a support comprising a sulfated oxide or hydroxide of at least an element of Group IVB (IUPAC 4) of the Periodic Table, a first component selected from the group consisting of at least one lanthanide series element, mixtures thereof; wherein the atomic ratio of the first component is at least about 2 and yttrium, and a second component selected from the group consisting of platinum group metals and mixtures thereof;

combining the reforming zone effluent with the isomerization zone effluent to form a combined effluent stream;

separating the combined effluent stream into a product stream enriched in C₅ and heavier hydrocarbons and an overhead stream enriched in C₄ and lighter boiling compounds.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the isomerization catalyst further comprises from about 2 to about 50 mass-% of a refractory inorganic-oxide binder.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the first component is selected from the group consisting of lutetium, ytterbium, thulium, erbium, holmium, terbium, combinations thereof and yttrium.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein the first component is ytterbium.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein the isomerization catalyst further comprises a third component selected from the group consisting of iron, cobalt, nickel, rhenium, and mixtures thereof.

6. A process comprising:

charging a reforming feedstream to a reforming zone containing a reforming catalyst and operating at reforming conditions to generate a reforming zone effluent;

combining the reforming zone effluent with an isomerization zone effluent to form a combined effluent stream;

separating the combined effluent stream into a product stream enriched in C₅ and heavier hydrocarbons and an overhead stream enriched in C₄ and lighter boiling compounds;

charging a portion of the overhead stream enriched in C₄ and lighter boiling compounds and an isomerization feedstream comprising at least C₅-C₆ hydrocarbons into an isomerization zone to contact an isomerization catalyst at isomerization conditions to increase the branching of the feedstream hydrocarbons and produce the isomerization zone effluent comprising at least normal pentane, normal hexane, methylbutane, dimethylbutane, and methylpentane; wherein said isomerization catalyst is a solid acid catalyst comprising a support comprising a sulfated oxide or hydroxide of at least an element of Group IVB (IUPAC 4) of the Periodic Table, a first component selected from the group consisting of at least one lanthanide series element, mixtures thereof, and yttrium, and a second component selected from the group consisting of platinum group metals and mixtures thereof; wherein the atomic ratio of the first component is at least about 2.

7. The process of claim 6 wherein the isomerization catalyst further comprises from about 2 to about 50 mass-% of a refractory inorganic-oxide binder.

8. The process of claim 6 wherein the first component is selected from the group consisting of lutetium, ytterbium, thulium, erbium, holmium, terbium, combinations thereof and yttrium.

9. The process of claim 6 wherein the first component is ytterbium.

10. The process of claim 6 wherein the isomerization catalyst further comprises a third component selected from the group consisting of iron, cobalt, nickel, rhenium, and mixtures thereof.

11. The process of claim 10 wherein the third component is iron in an amount from about 0.1 to about 5 wt. %.

12. The process of claim 6 further comprising passing the product stream enriched in C₅ and heavier hydrocarbons to a separation zone to separate at least one separation zone overhead stream enriched in C₄ and lighter boiling compounds from a separation zone product stream containing C₅ and heavier hydrocarbons.

13. The process of claim 12 wherein the separation zone contains at least one fractional distillation unit.

14. The process of claim 12 wherein at least a portion of one separation zone overhead stream enriched in C₄ and lighter boiling compounds is conducted to a net gas recovery zone.

15. The process of claim 6 wherein a portion of the overhead stream enriched in C₄ and lighter boiling compounds is conducted to a net gas recovery zone.

16. The process of claim 12 wherein said product stream is blended into a gasoline pool to produce a motor fuel.

17. The process of claim 6 wherein said reforming feedstream includes C₆ and higher boiling hydrocarbons.

18. The process of claim 6 wherein said isomerization zone includes a series of two reactors, the first reactor operating at a temperature in the range of 120° to 225° C. and said isomerization zone effluent is recovered from a second reactor operating at a temperature in the range of 60° to 160° C.