3874.  ----- [WATSON, C. W.] (The Texas Co.).Process for Catalytic Conversion of Carbon Oxides. United States Patent 2,585,981, Feb. 19,1952; appl. filed Nov. 23, 1945, Serial No. 630,521; 1 claim (Cl. 260-449.6).

In the production of synthetic hydrocarbons by the catalytic hydrogenation of CO, the process is so carried out that substantially all of the CO feed is converted and the formation of CO₂ is repressed to the greatest possible extent. This is accomplished by contacting a gaseous mixture of CO, H₂, H₂O vapor, and CO₂ with a fluidized Fe catalyst at 550°-700° F. and 200 p. s. i. g. until about 0.95-0.995% of the CO feed has been converted. The composition of the gaseous feed mixture is so maintained that the molar ratio of H₂:CO is at least 2:1, the amount of H₂O vapor is not more than what corresponds to saturation at 100° F., and the proportion of CO₂ is enough to repress action of the water gas shift in that direction, which consubstantially to inhibit the conversion of the feed CO into unwanted CO₂.