Catalytic Reforming

Catalytic reforming is a chemical process used in oil refining that converts low-octane naphtha into higher-octane liquid products by rearranging its hydrocarbon molecules over a catalyst, typically containing platinum. American chemist Vladimir Haensel developed the process, commercialized by Universal Oil Products under the name Platforming and first put into commercial operation in 1949, one of the first major refining processes to use a platinum-based catalyst. Catalytic reforming became a standard refinery process for producing high-octane gasoline components and is also a major industrial source of the aromatic chemicals used to make plastics and synthetic fibers.