How does platinum help make high-octane gasoline during petroleum refining?

In petroleum refining, platinum serves as a vital catalyst during the process of naphtha reforming. To facilitate this, platinum is distributed onto the surface of aluminum oxide pellets and placed into reactor vessels.12

When naphtha feedstock is passed over these catalyst beds in the presence of hydrogen, the platinum promotes the chemical rearrangement of hydrocarbon molecules. Specifically, it catalyzes the conversion of long-chain naphtha molecules into branched-chain isoparaffins and facilitates the cyclization of paraffins into naphthenes, which are subsequently dehydrogenated into aromatic compounds.12

Both isoparaffins and aromatics possess high octane numbers, making them highly desirable components for blending into high-octane gasoline. Despite the high cost of the metal, the process remains economical due to the catalyst's long operational life and the superior quality of the resulting fuel products.2