1291.    GUTHRIE, V. B.  Nazis Dropped Fischer-Tropsch Process for Coal Hydrogenation.  Nat. Petrol. News, vol. 37, No. 44, 1945, pp. 4, 44, 46.

       According to a report of the U. S. Technical Oil Mission, indications are that the Fischer-Tropsch process, as a means for making synthetic liquid fuels and lubricants, was discarded in favor of coal hydrogenation.  It appears, however, that the decision to do this was of political rather than scientific nature.  The authorities considered that operation of the Fischer-Tropsch process was important from the point of view of the production of chemicals but not of light fuels.  Neither was there any evidence of any development that would make the process more attractive economically.  It was learned, too, that the German Government had discontinued erection of new Fischer-Tropsch plants early in the war and that the viewpoint existed that the process had not been as successful as anticipated in meeting wartime needs.  Development work on the coal-hydrogenation process has been instituted with the prospect of increasing the aromatic content of aviation gasoline, although it did mean some sacrifice in volume yield.  Methods were found to operate at 700 atm. pressure in both liquid and vapor phase.  The process, known as the D.H.D. process (Dehydrogenation High-Pressure), provides for dehydrogenation of the inferior gasoline from the direct hydrogenation step in an intermittent manner in a series of converters containing a single bed of catalyst consisting of active alumina, on which is deposited 10% of Mo oxide.  The final D.H.D. naphtha is said to contain 65-68% of aromatics and is blended back with a corresponding light gasoline fraction to give a finished aviation gasoline with an aromatic content of 40-45% and a minimum octane number of 78 or 87 with 0.09 vol. % of tetraethyl lead.  Another interesting point was the manufacture of synthetic lubricating oil from the gas oil or naphtha obtained by the Fischer-Tropsch process.  Gas oil is chlorinated, treated with benzol-dichlorethane in the presence of AlCl₃, the benzol removed, and the various grades of lubricating oil extracted and processed by conventional methods.  In the second process, Fischer-Tropsch gasoline is treated with AlCl₃ in special equipment.  Another utilization of the Fischer-Tropsch process has to do with the manufacture of higher alcohols by the named Oxo process from olefins; the alcohols were to be used in making soap and edible fats.