CATALYST AND PROCESS FOR IMPROVING THE ADIABATIC STEAM-REFORMING OF NATURAL GAS

摘要

A process for adiabatically prereforming a feedstock, includes: providing an adiabatic reactor; providing a catalyst containing 1-20 wt.% nickel and 0.4- 5 wt.% potassium, wherein the catalyst has an overall catalyst porosity of 25-50% with 20-80% of the overall catalyst porosity contributed by pores having pore diameters of at least 500.ANG.; providing the feedstock containing natural gas and steam, wherein the natural gas contains an initial concentration of higher hydrocarbons, and a ratio of ste am to natural gas in the feedstock is from 1.5:1 to 5:1; preheating the feedstock to a temperature of 300-700.degree.C to provide a heated feedstock; providing the heated feedsto ck to the reactor; and producing a product containing hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide , unreacted methane, and steam, wherein said product contains a reduced concentration of higher hydrocarbons less than the initial concentration of higher hydrocarbons, to prereform the feedstock.