Patent ID: 6987078

Claim:
A process for the regeneration of a deactivated zeolite beta catalyst comprising: (a) providing a catalyst bed of a zeolite beta hydrocarbon conversion catalyst which has been deactivated in a hydrocarbon conversion reaction by the deposition of coke on the zeolite beta catalyst, said coke having a porosity characteristic ranging from a relatively porous coke constituent to a relatively less porous refractory coke constituent; (b) heating said zeolite beta to an elevated temperature in excess of 300° C. in an inert environment which is substantially free of oxygen; (c) thereafter supplying an oxidative regeneration gas comprising a mixture of an oxygen containing gas and an inert gas through said catalyst bed to oxidize at least a portion of the relatively porous coke component at a temperature greater than the temperature in subparagraph (b) and produce an exotherm which moves through said catalyst bed; (d) continuing the passage of said regeneration gas through said catalyst bed to result in decoking of said zeolite catalyst within said bed while progressively increasing at least one of the temperature and the oxygen content of said regeneration gas to oxidize a less porous component of said coke with the production of an exotherm which passes through said catalyst bed; (e) thereafter supplying a regeneration gas comprising a mixture of an oxygen containing gas and an inert gas having at least an increased oxygen content or an increased temperature greater than the temperature or oxygen content in subparagraph (d) to oxidize a less porous refractory component of said coke; and (f) thereafter further diminishing the oxygen content of said regeneration gas and passing an inert gas through said catalyst bed at a reduced temperature.