TITLE: Catalyst and process development for synthesis gas conversion to isobutylene. Quarterly report, July 1, 1993--September 30, 1993.

AUTHOR: R. G. Anthony;   A. Akgerman.

INST.  AUTHOR: Texas A and M Univ., College Station. Kinetics, Catalysis, and Reaction Engineering Lab.

SPONSOR: Department of Energy, Washington, DC.

LANGUAGE: English

PUB.  TYPE: Technical Report

PUB.  COUNTRY: United States

SOURCE: Department of Energy [DE],  23 Nov 93,  44p.

NTIS ORDER NO.: DE94008328INW

ABSTRACT:

Trickle bed reactor experiments using precipitated and commercial zirconia resulted in the production of more C(sub 2)-C(sub 3) hydrocarbons than the fixed bed gas phase reactor when using a hydrogen to CO ratio of 1. Because of problems associated with solvent cracking the reactor temperature for the trickle bed was limited to 400(degrees)C, whereas temperatures up to 450(degrees)C had been used for the fixed bed reactors.  Co-feeding H(sub 2)S with the synthesis gas resulted in reduction of C(sub 1) to C(sub 3) production rates, an increase in C(sub 5) production and an increase in the production of 3-methyl-l-butene. Zirconia prepared with Ce resulted in a highly active and selective catalyst with isobutylene production rates of 4 to 8.5 kg/(m(sup 3) cat. h) for CO conversions of 15 to 34%. Kinetic models necessary for reactor design are first order for CO and one half order for hydrogen, indicating the dissociation of hydrogen on the catalyst surface. Carbon dioxide was found to be the most abundant specie on the surface of the catalyst and retards the rate of reaction. A modification of the Anderson Schultz Flory distribution resulted in an empirical procedure for estimating product distributions.

REPORT  NUMBER: DOE/PC/90045-T8

CONTRACT  NUMBER: AC22-90PC90045