PROCEDE DE RECUPERATION D'UN CARALYSEUR A TENEUR DE RHODIUM

PCT No. PCT/SU80/00073 Sec. 371 Date Feb. 17, 1981 Sec. 102(e) Date Feb. 17, 1981 PCT Filed May 5, 1980 PCT Pub. No. WO80/02809 PCT Pub. Date Dec. 24, 1980.A method for regenerating of rhodium-containing catalysts exhausted and sulphur-poisoned in the course of dealkylating alkyl benzenes or mixture thereof with steam or hydrogen, comprising the steps of burning out coke deposits by an oxygen-containing gas and chlorinating the catalyst with chlorine or with a chlororganic compound in a flow of hydrogen, an inert gas or a mixture of an inert gas with oxygen and moisture. The catalyst is additionally treated with ammonia or with a nitrogen-containing compound capable of decomposing under the treatment to yield ammonia in the presence of at least one component selected from the group consisting of: water, hydrogen, and nitrogen-oxygen mixture. The treatment can be conducted both in the liquid and the gaseous phases at temperatures ranging between 20 DEG and 650 DEG C. and at a pressure between 1 and 50 atm. The present invention can be used for regeneration of rhodium-containing catalysts and used for dealkylating alkyl benzenes with steam or hydrogen.