2356.     ---------------.  [NAKAI, A.]  Studies on the Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis.  II.  Studies on Iron Catalyst.  U. S. Naval Tech. Mission to Japan, X-38 (N)-7, Encl. (B) 19, 1946, pp. 179-181; PB 58,701.

        Experiments were made to investigate the effectiveness of iron catalysts for synthesis of oil from water gas at normal pressure.  Reference is made to previous work of Tsuneoka on iron catalysts.  The influence of metals or their oxides on the catalytic activity of the catalysts Fe:Cu:kieselguhr:Na₂CO₃=100:20:200:4 and Fe:Cu:ThO₂:kieselguhr:Na₂CO₃=100:20:4:200:4 was investigated, and various compounds were tested as promoters.  MgO was found to be most effective.  The most satisfactory catalyst at lower reaction temperatures of 235°-240° was Fe:Cu:ThO₂:MgO:kieselguhr:Na₂CO₃=100:20:4:20:175-200:4.  To activate the catalyst, it was best to circulate water gas rapidly at the reaction temperature.  The yield of synthetic oil with this iron catalyst was 61.6 gm. per m.³ of water gas (H₂:CO=6:4) at 235°, atmospheric pressure, and gas space velocity of 41 per hr.