Processes for Regenerating Catalysts and for Upgrading Alkanes and/or Alkyl Aromatic Hydrocarbons

A dehydrogenation process using the regenerated catalyst produced by a process of any one of the preceding claims, the dehydrogenation process comprising:

• (VI) contacting a hydrocarbon-containing feed with the regenerated catalyst to effect one or more of dehydrogenation, dehydroaromatization, and dehydrocyclization of at least a portion of the hydrocarbon-containing feed to produce the at least partially deactivated catalyst comprising the Group 10 element, the inorganic support, and the contaminant and an effluent comprising one or more upgraded hydrocarbons and molecular hydrogen, wherein the hydrocarbon feed comprises one or more of C2-C16 linear or branched alkanes, one or more of C4-C16 cyclic alkanes, one or more of C8-C16 alkyl aromatic hydrocarbons, or a mixture thereof;
• and
• (VII) repeating steps (I) through (IV), wherein, in step (III) additional oxidized precursor catalyst is produced, and wherein, in step (IV), additional regenerated catalyst is obtained from the additional oxidized precursor catalyst;
• and
• (VIII) contacting an additional quantity of the hydrocarbon-containing feed with at least a portion of the additional regenerated catalyst to produce additional at least partially deactivated catalyst and additional effluent.

A process for upgrading a hydrocarbon, comprising:

• (I) contacting a hydrocarbon-containing feed with a catalyst comprising a Group 10 element and an inorganic support to effect one or more of dehydrogenation, dehydroaromatization, and dehydrocyclization of at least a portion of the hydrocarbon-containing feed to produce an at least partially deactivated catalyst comprising the Group 10 element, the inorganic support, and a contaminant and an effluent comprising one or more upgraded hydrocarbons and molecular hydrogen, wherein:
• the hydrocarbon-containing feed comprises one or more of C2-C16 linear or branched alkanes, or one or more of C4-C16 cyclic alkanes, one or more C8-C16 alkyl aromatics, or a mixture thereof;
• the Group 10 element has a concentration in the range of from 0.001 wt % to 6 wt %, based on the weight of the inorganic support;
• the hydrocarbon-containing feed and the catalyst are contacted at a temperature in a range from 300° C. to 900° C.;
• and
• the one or more upgraded hydrocarbons comprise at least one of a dehydrogenated hydrocarbon, a dehydroaromatized hydrocarbon, and a dehydrocyclized hydrocarbon,
• (II) heating the at least partially deactivated catalyst using a heating gas mixture comprising H2O at a concentration of greater than 5 mol %, based on the total moles in the heating gas mixture to produce a precursor catalyst;
• (III) providing an oxidative gas comprising no greater than 2 mol % of H2O, based on the total moles in the oxidative gas;
• (IV) contacting the precursor catalyst at an oxidizing temperature in a range of from 620° C. to 1,000° C. with the oxidative gas for a duration of at least 30 seconds, to produce an oxidized precursor catalyst;
• (V) obtaining a regenerated catalyst from the oxidized precursor catalyst;
• and
• (VI) contacting an additional quantity of the hydrocarbon-containing feed with at least a portion of the regenerated catalyst to produce additional at least partially deactivated catalyst and additional effluent.