DISCUSSIONS AT
KAISER WILHELM INTITUTE,
MULHEIM RUHR
The Kaiser Wilhelm Institute is doing no work at present on the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. We discussed the current activities of the KWI with Drs. Koch and Ziesecke. Koch has continued his work on the characterization of Fischer-Tropsch products and most of his results have been published in Brennstoff Chemie. His most recent article appears in the July issue, page 212. In discussing isomer distribution in Fischer-Tropsch products, he referred to the article by Weller and Friedel on this subject. According to their method for predicting isomer distribution, 2% iso-butane would be predicted in the C4 fraction, whereas, the actual product in both large and small scale tests with cobalt catalyst containing 10-11% of iso-butane. It was Koch’s opinion that Weller and Friedel’s method would give indications but was not a precise method for predicting branching.
Ziesecke mentioned some of his work on the oxo synthesis using cobalt carbonyl and 1:1 CO to H2 gas at a pressure of 600-700 atmospheres. Under these conditions methanol gives predominately ethanol. The fraction of alcohol decreases with with carbon number.
Ziezecke is planning to extend the work on the iso-synthesis using oxide catalysts at 3,000 atmospheres. The pilot plant for this work was being erected while we were at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute. We inspected a Hofer compressor that will compress 25 cubic meters (NTP) per hour from 1,000 atmospheres to 3,000 atmospheres which will be the operating pressure of the new plant.