2241. ------. [METALLGESELLSCHAFT A. G.]. Exothermic Catalytic Gas Reactions. British Patent 683,516, Nov. 26, 1952. Chem. Abs., vol. 47, 1953, p. 5100.

In the production of hydrocarbons by the catalytic hydrogenation of CO, the cooling medium used for the contact reactor boiled at 190°-250° and was a mixture of saturated hydrocarbons with a high proportion of C₁₁, C₁₂, C₁₃, and a smaller proportion of C₁₄ hydrocarbons. The catalyst was a normal mixture of Co 100, ThO₂ 5, MgO 8, and kieselguhr 200 parts. The synthesis gas was a pressure gasification gas, which had been produced under a pressure of 20 atm. from brown coal and was composed of CO, 1.2%; CnHm, 0.1% ; CO, 23.3%; H₂, 54.6%; CH₄, 18.6%; and N₂, 2.3%. The operation was carried out in 1 stage with recycling of the synthesis gas by using 1 vol. fresh gas to 2 vol. recycled gas. The temperature at the top of the reactor was 190° and 210° at the bottom. The gas load on the catalyst was 300 m.³ per m.³ of catalyst per hr. The reactor was operated at a gas pressure of 20 atm. The yield was gasoline, 60%; diesel oil, 25%; crude paraffin, 12%; and hard wax, 3%. The product gas consisted of CO₂, 7.2%; CnHm, 0.5%; CO, 1.0%; H₂, 0.8%; CH₄, 82.3%; and N₂, 8.2% and was freed from liquid and solid products, but still contained C₃ and C₄ hydrocarbons. The gas had a heating value of about 840 B. t. u. per cu. ft. and was suitable as pipeline gas for long-distance transmission or for use as a chemical raw material.