2628.     PETROLEUM (LONDON). Synthetic Fuels in Germany.  I.  Introduction.  Vol. 9, 1946, pp. 74, 93.

        Before the war the trend in fuel synthesis was toward the Fischer-Tropsch process, but during the war the Bergius hydrogenation process gained interest.  Of the total oil production of 6,180,000 tons in 1943 from all sources, 3,088,000 tons was from Bergius hydrogenation and only 368,000 tons was produced by the Fischer-Tropsch process.  Also, attention had been paid to increasing production rather than developing new processes during the war.  No evidence has been found of developments that would make either of the processes more attractive economically.  The use of pressures above atmospheric and the use of Fe catalysts and processes working in several stages had been investigated in connection with the Fischer-Tropsch process, but extensive plant application has not been established.  As regards the use of pressure, drawings were obtained of vessels designed to operate at 10 atm. pressure.  The principal feature is the methods used to dissipate the exothermic heat of reaction.  Some useful information was obtained regarding operation in stages and recycling.  Of particular interest is the Oxo process.  Of importance, too, in the production of aviation fuel is the Dehydrierung-Hoch-Druck process, which catalytically dehydrogenates naphthenes to aromatics at 50 atm. and 500°.  In this way, the yield of aromatized gasoline is said to be 65% of the feed.