Reforming sulfur-containing hydrocarbons using a sulfur resistant catalyst

1. A method of reforming a sulfur containing hydrocarbon comprising:

contacting a sulfur containing hydrocarbon feed with steam and a sulfur tolerant catalyst at a temperature of at least about 300° C. for a predetermined amount of time, so that the sulfur tolerant catalyst adsorbs at least a portion of sulfur in the sulfur containing hydrocarbon feed and reforms said feed, such that a low sulfur reformate is collected; and

contacting the sulfur tolerant catalyst with a gas comprising oxygen to convert at least a portion of adsorbed sulfur to a sulfur oxide that is desorbed from the sulfur tolerant catalyst;

wherein

said sulfur tolerant catalyst consists essentially of a mixture of platinum and rhodium and a non-sulfating carrier.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein contacting the sulfur containing hydrocarbon feed with steam and said sulfur tolerant catalyst comprises high-temperature steam-reforming at temperatures of about 550° C. or more and about 900° C. or less and a pressure of about 1 atmosphere or more.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein contacting the sulfur containing hydrocarbon feed with steam and said sulfur tolerant catalyst comprises moderate temperature pre-reforming at temperatures of about 300° C. or more and about 550° C. or less and a pressure of about 1 atmosphere or more.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gas comprising oxygen comprises at least about 5% by volume oxygen.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gas comprising oxygen is contacted with the sulfur tolerant catalyst at a temperature of about 200° C. or more and 800° C. or less.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the low sulfur reformate comprises about 20% or less of an amount of sulfur compounds than the sulfur containing hydrocarbon feed.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising contacting the sulfur tolerant catalyst with steam to purge combustible gases after contacting the sulfur containing hydrocarbon feed with the sulfur tolerant catalyst and before contacting the sulfur tolerant catalyst with the gas comprising oxygen.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the sulfur tolerant catalyst is contacted with steam at about 600° C. or less.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said contacting a sulfur containing hydrocarbon feed with steam and a sulfur tolerant catalyst at a temperature of at least about 300° C. for a predetermined amount of time comprises contacting the sulfur containing hydrocarbon feed with steam to form a mixture and subsequently contacting the mixture with said sulfur tolerant catalyst at a temperature of at least about 300° C. for a predetermined amount of time.

10. A method of continuously reforming a sulfur containing hydrocarbon comprising:

contacting a sulfur containing hydrocarbon feed from a source with steam and a first sulfur tolerant catalyst in a first chamber at a temperature of at least about 300° C. for a predetermined amount of time so that the first sulfur tolerant catalyst adsorbs at least a portion of sulfur in the sulfur containing hydrocarbon feed and reforms said feed, such that a first low sulfur reformate is collected;

terminating contact between the sulfur containing hydrocarbon feed from the source and the first sulfur tolerant catalyst in the first chamber after said predetermined amount of time and then contacting the sulfur containing hydrocarbon feed from the source with steam and a second sulfur tolerant catalyst in a second chamber at a temperature of at least about 300° C. for a predetermined amount of time so that the second sulfur tolerant catalyst adsorbs at least a portion of sulfur in the sulfur containing hydrocarbon feed and reforms said feed, such that a second low sulfur reformate is collected; and

after terminating contact between the sulfur containing hydrocarbon feed from the source and the first sulfur tolerant catalyst in the first chamber, contacting the first sulfur tolerant catalyst with a first gas comprising oxygen to convert at least a portion of adsorbed sulfur to a sulfur oxide that is desorbed from the first sulfur tolerant catalyst;

wherein said first and second sulfur tolerant catalysts consist essentially of a mixture of platinum and rhodium and a non-sulfating carrier.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

terminating contact between the sulfur containing hydrocarbon feed from the source and the second sulfur tolerant catalyst in the second chamber after said predetermined amount of time and then contacting the sulfur containing hydrocarbon feed from the source with steam and the first sulfur tolerant catalyst in the first chamber at a temperature of at least about 300° C. for a predetermined amount of time, so that the first sulfur tolerant catalyst adsorbs at least a portion of sulfur in the sulfur containing hydrocarbon feed and reforms said feed, such that a low sulfur reformate is collected; and

after terminating contact between the sulfur containing hydrocarbon feed from the source and the second sulfur tolerant catalyst in the second chamber, contacting the second sulfur tolerant catalyst with a second gas comprising oxygen to convert at least a portion of adsorbed sulfur to a sulfur oxide that is desorbed from the second sulfur tolerant catalyst.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the method is conducted in a swing reactor system.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the sulfur containing hydrocarbon feed comprises

at least one member selected from the group consisting of sulfur, hydrogen sulfide, carbonyl sulfide, carbon disulfide, thiophenes, mercaptans, sulfur oxides, sulfates, and sulfides; and

at least one member selected from the group consisting of natural gas, alkanes containing from about 1 to about 12 carbon atoms, alkenes containing from about 1 to about 12 carbon atoms, and aromatics containing from about 1 to about 16 carbon atoms.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the gas comprising oxygen comprises at least about 20% by volume oxygen.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the gas comprising oxygen is contacted with the first sulfur tolerant catalyst at a temperature of about 300° C. or more and 700° C. or less.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first low sulfur reformate and the second low sulfur reformate comprise less than about 0.1 ppm of sulfur compounds.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein said contacting a sulfur containing hydrocarbon feed with steam and a sulfur tolerant catalyst at a temperature of at least about 300° C. for a predetermined amount of time comprises contacting the sulfur containing hydrocarbon feed with steam to form a mixture and subsequently contacting the mixture with said sulfur tolerant catalyst at a temperature of at least about 300° C. for a predetermined amount of time.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein said aromatics containing from about 1 to about 16 carbon atoms are selected from the group consisting of naphtha, LPGs, diesel, gasoline, fossil fuels, jet fuel, and logistical fuels.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the non-sulfating carrier is SiO 2 -ZrO 2 .

20. The method of claim 10 , wherein the non-sulfating carrier is SiO 2 -ZrO 2 .

21. The method of claim 9 , wherein the mixture has a steam to carbon ratio of about 0.1 to about 10.

22. The method of claim 17 , wherein the mixture has a steam to carbon ratio of about 0.1 to about 10.