Reforming

Name:
Reforming
Detailed information:
Decomposition (cracking) of hydrocarbon gases or low-octane petroleum fractions by heat and pressure, either without a catalyst (thermoforming) or with a specific catalyst (molybdenum, platinum). The latter method is the more efficient and is used almost exlcusively in the U.S. The chief cracking reactions are (1) dehydrogenation of cyclohexanes to aromatic hydrocarbons; (2) dehydrocyclization of certain paraffins to aromatics; (3) isomerization, i.e., conversion of straight-chain to branched-chain structures, as octane to isooctane. These result in substantial increase in octane number. Steam reforming of natural gas is an important method of producing hydrogen by the reaction CH₄ + H₂O → 3H₂ + CO; steam reforming of naphtha is used to produce synthetic natural gas.See Hydroforming; Platforming.