Reactivating iridium and selenium containing catalysts with hydrogen halide and oxygen

摘要

A process is disclosed for reactivating an agglomerated iridium and selenium containing catalyst and particularly platinum- iridium-selenium on alumina reforming catalysts. The process includes contacting a substantially decoked agglomerated catalyst with a reducing gas such as hydrogen to reduce agglomerated iridium oxides present to the free metal, a hydrogen halide pretreatment step to increase the halogen level of the catalyst to about 1.3 weight percent and above, and a redispersion step involving hydrogen halide and elemental oxygen. Use of hydrogen halide and elemental oxygen in the redispersion treatment eliminates the need for use of elemental chlorine gas. If no iridium oxides are initially present, the hydrogen reduction step is optional.