TITLE: Low severity upgrading of F-T waxes with solid superacids.  Quarterly report, March 1, 1993--May 31, 1993.

AUTHOR: J. W. Tierney;   I. Wender.

INST.  AUTHOR: Pittsburgh Univ., PA. Dept. of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering.

SPONSOR: Department of Energy, Washington, DC.

LANGUAGE: English

PUB.  TYPE: Technical Report

PUB.  COUNTRY: United States

SOURCE: Department of Energy [DE],  1993,  15p.

NTIS ORDER NO.: DE93040613INW

ABSTRACT:

The upgrading of Fischer-Tropsch waxes with solid superacids continued this quarter, the isomerization and hydrocracking of n-pentane were examined by in situ FT-IR. It was found that the intensity of protonic acid sites was weakened as n-pentane was introduced into the IR cell, indicating that protonic acid sites tend to donate a proton to n-paraffins. There was no evidence of olefinic intermediates. It is likely that, as we previously proposed, isomerization and hydrocracking over Pt/ZrO(sub 2)/SO(sub 4) catalyst proceed through initial protonation of n-alkanes to form carbonium ions which are then isomerized and hydrocracked.

REPORT  NUMBER: DOE/PC/91304-T6

CONTRACT  NUMBER: FG22-91PC91304