The Structure of Platinum-Tin Reforming Catalysts

Platinum-tin on alumina catalysts appear to have potential for use during naphtha reforming in processes utilising continuous catalyst regeneration, and without the need for complex activation procedures. To gain a better understanding of the properties that contribute to their effectiveness, the surface and bulk characteristics of these bimetallic catalysts have been studied by a variety of techniques which make more direct measures of the chemical and physical states of the elements present than, for example, temperature-programmed reduction. The data presented demonstrate that catalyst formation by the addition of platinum and tin by co-precipitation leads to alloy formation, but that this does not occur when a support prepared by co-precipitating tin and aluminium oxide is impregnated with chloroplatinic acid.