18. ----------------.[ALDEN, R. C.] Conversion of Natural Gas to Liquid Fuels. Petrol. Engineer, vol. 18, No. 4, 1947, pp. 148, 150, 152, 154, 156, 158; Oil Gas Jour., vol. 45, No. 27, 1946, pp. 79, 81, 82, 97, 98; California Oil World, vol. 39, No. 20, 1946, pp. 5-16; Chem. Abs., vol. 41, 1947, p. 264.

18. ----------------. [ALDEN, R. C.] Conversion of Natural Gas to Liquid Fuels. Petrol. Engineer, vol. 18, No. 4, 1947, pp. 148, 150, 152, 154, 156, 158; Oil Gas Jour., vol. 45, No. 27, 1946, pp. 79, 81, 82, 97, 98; California Oil World, vol. 39, No. 20, 1946, pp. 5-16; Chem. Abs., vol. 41, 1947, p. 264.

German development of the Fischer-Tropsch process and the American refinements to use natural gas as raw material are reviewed. Natural gas is cheaper raw material and simpler to handle, and desulfurization is easier than with coal. In a conjectured commercial-scale operation at present, desulfurized natural gas and O₂ are preheated separately and passed into a combustion reactor, where synthesis gas consisting of 2 parts H₂ to 1 part CO is produced. The exit gas is cooled from about 2,100° F. to 600° F. in a waste-heat boiler, where a portion of the power requirements of the plant is produced. The gas is then passed into the synthesis reactor, where liquid hydrocarbon products are formed. A fluid, powdered Fe catalyst is employed. The temperature is controlled by water-cooled tubes extending into the reactor. By mild refining, the raw gasoline will have a 75-80 octane number and the Diesel fuel a cetane number >50. 5,000 bbl. of total refined hydrocarbon product, consisting of about 4,100 bbl. of motor fuel and 900 bbl. of Diesel fuel, are obtained from 60,000,000 cu. ft. of natural gas. In addition, there would be 360 bbl. of oxygenated products. With natural gas at $0.05 per 1,000 cu. ft., the cost per gal. of liquid fuels would be approximately $0.05.

---------------. See abs. 1399.