TITLE: Generation of Primarily Petrochemical Raw and Basic Products by the Fischer--Tropsch Synthesis. Interim Report I.

AUTHOR: J. Zimmer;   M. Elstner;   G. Falkenain.

LANGUAGE: English

PUB.  TYPE: Technical Report

PUB.  COUNTRY: United States

SOURCE: Energy Research and Development Administration [ERDAT] ,  May 77, 41p.

ABSTRACT:

More than 20 synthetic methods were compared. Industrially untested methods were considered as long as the expectation seemed to be justified that a development toward industrial maturity within 5 to 8 years would be possible. This comparison led to the selection of 11 methods or procedural groups. For each of these a quantitative balance sheet for 2.5 MMTPY C sub 2+ was established. Initially, often from numerous groups of data, we tried to balance those which with acceptable gas conversion are typical for the respective method. The summary of the balances showed that very large differences in the composition of the primary product distribution can be encountered. In the collection and evaluation of the available information few suggestions were found for selectivity shifts which go significantly beyond those which we have evaluated. Among the methods which can be used on a 2.5 MMTPY scale without further development Synthol offers the most advantages. A final relative evaluation of all methods can only be accomplished by means of the studies planned for the subsequent phases of the program. The industrial applicability of nitrided contacts in the tested reactor types should be established by large-scale experiments. The direct synthesis of ethylene appears so attractive that a further search for details should be pushed, parallel with Phases 2 and 3 of this study, in the hope that genuine promises for development efforts  in this direction may yet be found. From a long-term point of view it may be possible to develop the use of cobalt catalysts with longer useful life in modern reactors for the production of hydrocarbons with a very small fraction of oxygen-containing compounds. (ERA citation 02:044974)