3645.     WELLER, S., AND FRIEDEL, R. A.  Isomer Distribution in Hydrocarbons From the Fischer-Tropsch Process.  Jour. Chem. Phys., vol. 17, 1949, pp. 801-803; Chem. Abs., vol. 44, 1950, p. 1314.

          Isomer distribution found experimentally for the saturated hydrocarbon products (pentane to octane range) from a Co Fischer-Tropsch catalyst has been deduced from probability considerations.  With certain restrictions, it is assumed that the C skeleton is built up by addition to any terminal C atom (for which the priori probability has a constant value a) or to any penultimate C atom (with a priori probability b).  Values of a and b, determined from experimental data, led to deduced isomer concentrations in each molecular-weight cut agreeing with experimental concentrations with an average deviation of 0.7%.  Peculiarities in the observed isomer distribution were reproduced also.  If the same general mechanism described for Co catalysts holds for Fe catalysts, it should be possible to deduce the isomer distribution in the products from Fe catalysts also, when these data have been obtained.  Furthermore, it may be anticipated that data for the skeleton isomerism of the olefinic products also will be describable in similar terms.  In case of general agreement in enough cases, the validity of the assumed chain build-up mechanism for the Fischer-Tropsch reaction might be established and other schemes ruled out.