Patent ID: 8906223

Claim:
A process for the production of aromatic compounds comprising: passing a naphtha feedstream having olefins, naphthenes, paraffins, and aromatics through a plurality of reforming reactors in a series arrangement, each reforming reactor containing a reforming catalyst to convert paraffin and naphthenes in the naphtha feedstream to aromatics through dehydrogenation and cyclization in the presence of added hydrogen and added sulfur compounds generating an effluent stream, wherein each feedstream to each of reforming reactor passes through a heating unit to generate a heated feedstream for each reforming reactor; splitting each of the heated feedstreams into at least two portions; passing the first portion of the split heated feedstream to each of reforming reactors; and combining the second portion of each of the split heated feedstream with a downstream effluent stream, and passing the combined stream to a downstream heating unit and then the next reforming reactor; wherein the first reactor is operated at a temperature between 400° C. and 500° C., and the following reactors are operated at a second reaction temperature between 500° C. and 600° C., and wherein the second reaction temperature is greater than the first reaction temperature; wherein the reactors are operated as successively greater temperatures.