US Patent 7901566 Reforming sulfur-containing hydrocarbons using a sulfur resistant catalyst

A method of reforming a sulfur containing hydrocarbon involves contacting the sulfur containing hydrocarbon with a sulfur tolerant catalyst containing a non-sulfating carrier and one or more of a sulfur tolerant precious metal and a non-precious metal compound so that the sulfur tolerant catalyst adsorbs at least a portion of sulfur in the sulfur containing hydrocarbon and a low sulfur reformate is collected, and contacting the sulfur tolerant catalyst with an oxygen containing gas to convert at least a portion of adsorbed sulfur to a sulfur oxide that is desorbed from the sulfur tolerant catalyst.