PATENT

3461. ----- [STANDARD OIL CO.]  Catalyst for Producing Hydrocarbons Form Carbon Monoxide and Hydrogen.  British Patent 593,910, Oct. 29, 1947.  Chem. Abs., vol. 42, 1948, p. 2088.

Hydrocarbons are produced in a process relatively insensitive to temperature change by hydrogenating CO at 300°-450° F. and at atmospheric or superatmospheric pressure over pelleted, supported, or fluidized Ni chromite catalyst.  Such catalyst may be activated before or after use by controlled oxidation and reduction.  If NiSO₄ is used in preparing the catalyst or S is present in feed gases, special purification is necessary.  Thus Ni(NO₃)₂, 1,163 and H₂O, 3,200 were treated with (NH₄)₂Cr₂O₇,504 and H₂O,2,400 gm. and concentrated NH₄OH, 550 cc. at about 165° F.  The precipitate was filtered out, dried at 300° F., calcined for 1 hr at 700° F. and reduced at about 760° F. with 2,000 vol. H₂ per hr. for 5 hr.  The catalyst so prepared used at 360° F. with H₂ and CO in volume ratio 1.97:1 and at space velocity 118 vol. per hr. gave about 179 cc. liquid hydrocarbons wer m.³ of reagents.  Another batch of catalyst reduced with 2,200 vol. H₂ per hr. at 750° F. and used at space velocity 111-113 for 97 hr. gave (after the 1^st 25 hr.) 132-168 cc. liquid hydrocarbons per m.³ reagents.