This work concerns the methodology of characterizing the deactivation of a catalyst by coke deposition. The isomerization of npentane on a platinum reforming catalyst was studied in a tubular reactor permitting easy sampling of the gas phase at several positions in the reactor. Runs with high ratios of hydrogen to pentane did not show any deactivation and served to determine the kinetics of the main reaction and the principal side reaction, hydrocracking. At low ratios of hydrogen to pentane the catalyst was deactivated by carbonaceous deposits. At the end of the run the coke was determined in sections of the reactor and was found to be deposited according to a profile. Additional insight into the coking phenomenon was obtained from experiments on a thermohalance. A mathematical model for the performance of the tubular reactor subject to coking was set up and the parameters were determined from the experimental data. The parameters were found to be significantly determined and to obey the Arrhenius temperature dependence. The values of the parameters of the main reaction and of the hydrocracking side reaction which were derived from the experiments in the presence of coking were in agreement with those obtained from the runs in the absence of coking.