TITLE: Conversion of Low H sub 2 /CO Ratio Synthesis Gas to Hydrocarbons.  Progress Report, October 1-December 31, 1982.

AUTHOR: A. T. Bell;   H. Heinemann.

INST.  AUTHOR: California Univ., Berkeley. Dept. of Chemical Engineering.

SPONSOR: Department of Energy, Washington, DC.

LANGUAGE: English

PUB.  TYPE: Technical Report

PUB.  COUNTRY: United States

SOURCE: Department of Energy [DE],  1982,  8p.

NTIS ORDER NO.: DE85008831/INW

ABSTRACT:

The first goals of this project are: (1) to understand the influence of mass transfer on the performance of Fischer-Tropsch slurry reactors, and (2) to determine the nature of carbon formed during reaction. In reaching this ssecond goal, knowledge of the catalyst composition will be useful.  Experiments aimed at the understanding of mass transfer effects have been initiated and the first of these is discussed in this report. It is too early to draw definitive conclusions. After completion of the experiments on mass transfer, a determination of the rate of free carbon formation in the slurry reactor will be undertaken. The slurry will be analyzed for carbon, iron, and oxygen, via elemental analysis, and the solids will be analyzed by x-ray diffraction. This should allow us to determine the composition of the catalyst and the extent to which free carbon is formed during reaction, and may improve our understanding of the differences between the fixed bed reactor and the slurry reactor. Another potential set of experiments involves the use of solvents that exhibit varying degrees of miscibility with Fischer-Tropsch products. If deactivation occurs via coke formation from Fischer-Tropsch products, changing the miscibility of products in the slurry will change the rate of catalyst deactivation. Finally, it is proposed to study Fischer-Tropsch reactions with catalysts in which the active materials are deposited in the pores of a zeolite which are too small to permit coke formation. The exterior surface of the zeolite can be poisoned for acid catalyzed reactions. This will determine whether catalyst deactivation occurs primarily via accumulation of graphitic carbon. (ERA citation 11:047362)

REPORT  NUMBER: DOE/PC/40795-T3

CONTRACT  NUMBER: FG22-81PC40795