Continuous catalytic reforming process with dual zones

In a process for catalytically reforming a hydrocarbon feedstock distilling substantially within the range of 40.degree. and 210.degree. C. comprising contacting the hydrocarbon feedstock in the presence of free hydrogen in a continuous-reforming zone with reconditioned bifunctional reforming catalyst particles comprising a platinum-group metal component, a halogen component and a refractory inorganic oxide at first reforming conditions comprising a pressure of from about 100 kPa to 1 MPa, liquid hourly space velocity of from about 0.2 to 10 hr.sup.-1, mole ratio of hydrogen to C.sub.5 + hydrocarbons of about 0.1 to 10, and temperature of from about 400.degree. to 560.degree. C. to produce an original first effluent containing BTX aromatics and a base amount of deactivated catalyst particles, removing the deactivated catalyst particles at least semicontinuously from the continuous-reforming zone and contacting at least a portion of the particles sequentially in a continuous-regeneration zone with an oxygen-containing gas and in a reduction zone with a hydrogen-containing gas to obtain reconditioned catalyst particles,

• the improvement comprising increasing the throughput of the continuous-reforming zone by at least about 5 volume-% with a concomitant increase in space velocity and decrease in hydrogen-to-hydrocarbon mole ratio in the range of about 0.1 to 6 with no increase in the amount of deactivated catalyst particles over the base amount to obtain an aromatics-rich product containing at least about 10% more BTX aromatics than the original first effluent by contacting the hydrocarbon feedstock prior to the first reforming zone in a zeolitic-reforming zone with a zeolitic reforming catalyst comprising a non-acidic zeolite, an alkali metal component and a platinum-group metal component at second reforming conditions comprising a pressure of from about 100 kPa to 6 MPa, a liquid hourly space velocity of from about 7 to 40 hr.sup.-1 and a temperature of from about 260.degree. to 560.degree. C. to obtain an aromatized effluent as feed to the continuous-reforming zone.

In a process for catalytically reforming a hydrocarbon feedstock distilling substantially within the range of 40.degree. and 210.degree. C. comprising contacting the hydrocarbon feedstock in the presence of free hydrogen in a continuous-reforming zone with reconditioned bifunctional reforming catalyst particles comprising a platinum-group metal component, a halogen component and a refractory inorganic oxide at first reforming conditions comprising a pressure of from about 100 to 450 kPa, liquid hourly space velocity of from about 0.2 to 10 hr.sup.-1, mole ratio of hydrogen to C.sub.5 + hydrocarbons of about 0.1 to 10, and temperature of from about 400.degree. to 560.degree. C. to produce an original first effluent containing BTX aromatics and a base amount of deactivated catalyst particles, removing the deactivated catalyst particles at least semicontinuously from the continuous-reforming zone and contacting at least a portion of the particles sequentially in a continuous-regeneration zone with an oxygen-containing gas, in a redispersion zone with a chlorine-containing gas and in a reduction zone with a hydrogen-containing gas to obtain reconditioned catalyst particles,

• the improvement comprising increasing the throughput of the continuous-reforming zone by at least about 5 volume-% with a concomitant increase in space velocity and decrease in hydrogen-to-hydrocarbon mole ratio in the range of about 0.1 to 6 with no increase in the amount of deactivated catalyst particles over the base amount to obtain an aromatics-rich product containing at least about 10% more BTX aromatics than the original first effluent by contacting the hydrocarbon feedstock prior to the first reforming zone in a zeolitic-reforming zone with a zeolitic reforming catalyst comprising a non-acidic zeolite, an alkali metal component and a platinum-group metal component at second reforming conditions comprising a pressure of from about 100 to 450 kPa, a liquid hourly space velocity of from about 7 to 40 hr.sup.-1 and a temperature of from about 260.degree. to 560.degree. C. to obtain an aromatized effluent as feed to the continuous-reforming zone.