Patent ID: 6979396

Claim:
A process comprising: charging a reforming feedstream to a reforming zone containing a reforming catalyst and operating at reforming conditions to generate a reforming zone effluent; charging hydrogen and an isomerization feedstream comprising at least C 5 –C 6 hydrocarbons into an isomerization zone to contact an isomerization catalyst at isomerization conditions to increase the branching of the feedstream hydrocarbons and produce the isomerization zone effluent comprising at least normal pentane, normal hexane, methylbutane, dimethylbutane, and methylpentane; wherein said isomerization catalyst is a solid acid catalyst comprising a support comprising a sulfated oxide or hydroxide of at least an element of Group IVB (IUPAC 4) of the Periodic Table, a first component selected from the group consisting of at least one lanthanide series element, mixtures thereof; wherein the atomic ratio of the first component is at least about 2 and yttrium, and a second component selected from the group consisting of platinum group metals and mixtures thereof; combining the reforming zone effluent with the isomerization zone effluent to form a combined effluent stream; separating the combined effluent stream into a product stream enriched in C 5 and heavier hydrocarbons and an overhead stream enriched in C 4 and lighter boiling compounds.