PATENT

3496. ----- [STANDARD OIL CO.]  gases for the Synthesis of Hydrocarbons.  British Patent 641,945, Aug. 23, 1950, p. 11,067.

Gases containing CO and H₂ are produced in a 3-stage process, which comprises:  (1) Passing a hydrocarbon gas over a catalyst consisting of Fe, Co, Ni, or mixtures thereof, with or without Zn;  (2) maintaining the greater portion of the catalyst in the reactor in the form of a metal but passing a relatively small amount to an oxidizing zone wherein it is oxidized; and (3) withdrawing oxidized catalyst from this zone and recycling it to the reactor in an amount substantially stoichiometrically equivalent to the hydrocarbon feed so as to provide in thee reactor 1 atom of O₂ combined as reducible metal oxide per atom of C.  Generally 90-95% of the catalyst in the reactor should be in the metallic form.  A desirable catalyst consists of Ni 90-95% and Fe 10-5% by weight.