TITLE: Catalyst and Reactor Development for a Liquid Phase Fischer-Tropsch Process. Quarterly Technical Progress Report, 1 April-30 June 1983.

AUTHOR: B. W. Brian;   W. E. Carroll;   N. Cilen;   R. Pierantozzi;   A. F. Nordquist.

INST.  AUTHOR: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., Allentown, PA.

SPONSOR: Department of Energy, Washington, DC.

LANGUAGE: English

PUB.  TYPE: Technical Report

PUB.  COUNTRY: United States

SOURCE: Department of Energy [DE],  Oct 84,  39p.

NTIS ORDER NO.: DE85003151/INW  

ABSTRACT:

Two major tasks of the contract continued: (1) Slurry Catalyst Development, and (2) Slurry Reactor Design Studies. A third phase of the extended slurry test of the proprietary catalyst was conducted using a new catalyst batch to confirm that the change in selectivity and loss of activity, observed in the second phase, was due to air exposure of the catalyst. The results were in line with the high diesel fuel production as before the suspected oxidation. Excess CO exposure during this last phase of testing resulted in a reduction in catalyst activity and a shift in selectivity to heavier hydrocarbons with a Schulz-Flory maximum centered around C sub 30 . The variations in selectivity and activity upon oxidation through air exposure, or surface carbon deposition through excess CO exposure, have confirmed the importance of understanding the mechanism for product selectivity. Further development with the aid of surface analysis techniques is required to control and center the selectivity for the diesel fuel range. Short term slurry tests were carried out on three catalysts, the preparation and activation procedures of which were optimized by the gas phase screening program. In the hydrodynamic studies, correlations were derived for the 5'' column data.  In the 12'' column, fitted with 7 vertical heat transfer tubes, hydrodynamic parameters were determined for slurries of 45 to 90 mu m Fe sub 2 O sub 3 in paraffin and water. A double, conical, hot film probe to measure bubble diameter was successfully operated in a three phase slurry.  Using Deckwer's model of the three phase bubble column, and kinetic data derived from the lab CSTR tests, the performance of Air Products' selective catalysts in a 1.5 x 8 m column (i.e., the size of Rheinpruessen) was simulated under both quiescent and churn turbulent conditions. 7 references, 8 figures, 6 tables. (ERA citation 10:006546)

REPORT  NUMBER: DOE/PC/30021-T14

CONTRACT  NUMBER: AC22-80PC30021