Use of Aromax® catalyst in sulfur converter absorber and advantages related thereto

A process for operating a reforming system comprising:

• a reforming section, wherein the reforming section comprises a plurality of reactors, and wherein each of the plurality of reactors contains a reforming catalyst capable of catalyzing the conversion of at least a portion of the hydrocarbons in a treated hydrocarbon stream into a reactor effluent comprising aromatic hydrocarbons;
• and a sulfur guard bed (SGB) comprising
• 1) A volume from about 16 vol. % to about 30 vol. % of the volume of a total reforming catalyst within the plurality of reactors within the reforming section and operable to remove sulfur, and sulfur-containing hydrocarbons from a hydrocarbon feed to provide the treated hydrocarbon stream,
• 2) at least a layer of a SGB catalyst and a layer of an iron trap material having a porosity of greater than or equal to about 0.2 cc/g and located downstream of and adjacent to the layer of the SGB catalyst and operable to remove particulate iron from the hydrocarbon feed, where the SGB
• catalyst and the reforming catalyst are the same and capable of producing hydrogen sulfide from sulfur-containing hydrocarbons and hydrogen, and
• 3) an inlet line to introduce the hydrocarbon feed into the SGB and an outlet line to remove the treated hydrocarbon stream from the SGB;
• the process comprising:
• operating the reforming system to convert hydrocarbons in the treated hydrocarbon stream into the reactor effluent comprising the aromatic hydrocarbons;
• identifying one or more operating parameters that indicate a need to perform maintenance on the reforming system comprising monitoring the temperature difference between the temperature of the hydrocarbon feed introduced to the SGB and the temperature of the treated hydrocarbon stream in the SGB outlet line,
• shutting down the reforming system to cease conversion of the hydrocarbons in the treated hydrocarbon stream into the aromatic hydrocarbons;
• removing and replacing the reforming catalyst in the plurality of reactors with a fresh reforming catalyst and removing and replacing the SGB catalyst in the SGB with a replaced SGB catalyst;
• adding the layer of the iron trap material upstream of the layer of the SGB catalyst;
• concurrently reducing the replaced SGB catalyst and the fresh reforming catalyst prior to start-up of the reforming system;
• and
• starting up the reforming system to continue conversion of the hydrocarbons in the treated hydrocarbon stream into the aromatic hydrocarbons;
• wherein the treated hydrocarbon stream comprises at least one aliphatic hydrocarbon, at least one aromatic hydrocarbon, and hydrogen at a ratio of 1:1:2.