TITLE: Slurry phase Fischer-Tropsch synthesis: Cobalt plus a water-gas shift catalyst. (Quarterly) report, October 1, 1990-December 31, 1990.

AUTHOR: C. A. Chanenchuk;   I. C. Yates;   C. N. Satterfield.

INST.  AUTHOR: Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge.

SPONSOR: Department of Energy, Washington, DC.

LANGUAGE: English

PUB.  TYPE: Technical Report

PUB.  COUNTRY: United States

SOURCE: Department of Energy [DE],  1990,  55p.

NTIS ORDER NO.: DE91013913INW

ABSTRACT:

Experiments to study the cobalt-catalyzed and iron-catalyzed reactions of light 1-alkenes added to synthesis gas have been performed and analyzed.  On cobalt, data have been obtained at 220(degrees)C, 0.45 to 1.48 MPA and a synthesis gas flow rate between 0.015 and 0.030 Nl/gcat/min with H(sub 2)/CO feeds of 1.45 to 2.25. On fused iron, data were collected at 248(degrees)C, 0.79 to 1.48 MPa and a synthesis gas flow rate between 0.005 and 0.030 Nl/gcat/min of H(sub 2)/CO feeds of 0.5 to 1.5 C(sub 2)H(sub 4), C(sub 3)H(sub 6), and 1-C(sub 4)H(sub 8) were added to the synthesis gas feed in concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 1.2 mol. % of total feed. 1-Alkenes incorporate into growing chains on the catalyst surface of both catalysts, probably by initiating and/or terminating the chain growth process. Only ethene is believed to propagate chain growth significantly. The propensity of the 1-alkenes to incorporate decreases with increasing carbon number of the 1-alkene. The double-(alpha) behavior which is exhibited by most Fischer-Tropsch catalysts can be explained as the sum of two growth processes, one stepwise single-carbon growth and the other 1-alkene incorporation. Both alkene addition study data and the effects of process variables on the selectivity of Fischer-Tropsch catalysts can be explained within the framework of this theory. 19 refs., 12 figs., 2 tabs.

REPORT  NUMBER: DOE/PC/79816-11

CONTRACT  NUMBER: AC22-87PC79816