PATENTS

       36.            ARNOLD, J. H. (Hydrocarbon Research, Inc.). Hydrocarbon Synthesis.  United States Patent 2,623,057.  Dec. 23, 1952.  Chem. Abs., vol. 47, 1953, p. 2462.

Hydrocarbons ad oxygenated hydrocarbons are prepared from H₂ and CO in a molar ratio in the approximate range of 0.8:1 to 22:1, in the presence of and Fe-containing catalyst at a superatmospheric pressure and 288°-399° with the formation of the liquid and gaseous organic compounds and byproduct CO₂ and H₂O: the catalyst has a predetermined characteristic selectivity for the production of liquid organic compounds expressed as the ratio of the new production of hydrocarbons containing 3 or more C atoms plus all the oxygenated hydrocarbons to the total net production of hydrocarbons and oxygenated hydrocarbons.  Production of the liquid organic compounds is brought to a maximum by maintaining the production of CO₂ at a predetermined rate, which, expressed as the percentage of CO consumed in the reaction does not deviate from 91-33 R-0.2 S by more than almost 9% where R is the aforesaid molar ratio of H₂: CO in the synthesis gas and S is the selectivity of the catalyst.  The extent of production of CO₂ is controlled somewhat by each of the factors catalyst selection, adjustment of recycle ratio, catalysts bed temperature, and the extent of conversion of CO feed.