TITLE: Catalyst and Reactor Development for a Liquid-Phase Fischer-Tropsch Process. Quarterly Technical Progress Report, 1 October 1982-31 December 1981.

AUTHOR: P. N. Dyer;   R. Pierantozzi;   B. W. Brian;   J. V. Bauer;   R. L. Parsons.

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],  Mar 83,  42p.

NTIS REPORT NO: DE82008247INW

ABSTRACT:

Two major tasks were continued: (1) Slurry Catalyst Development, and (2) Slurry Reactor Design Studies. The first extended slurry test was begun, using a proprietary catalyst. High selectivities and large deviations from the Schulz-Flory distribution were observed. A bulk activity 2.5 times greater than the baseline Fe sub 2 O sub 3 was determined, with little deactivation over 450 h. Consistently low CH sub 4 yields of 3 to 5 wt %, and high C sub 9 -C sub 25 fractions of 45 to 50 wt %, were produced at 240 exp 0 C, 300 psig and 1:1 CO/H sub 2 . This test is being continued with higher CO/H sub 2 ratios and operating temperatures. Parametric gas phase screening studies were concluded for two further modified conventional catalysts and the optimum preparations in terms of activity and diesel range selectivity were chosen for subsequent slurry phase testing. Gas holdup and solid concentration profiles were measured for water/silica slurries in the 5'' column, and for paraffin/silica slurries in the 12'' column, both with and without heat transfer internals. In both columns, gas holdup was found to be close to the Akita and Yoshida correlation. Very non-uniform solid concentration profiles were observed in the 2 column for the 90 to 115 mu m size silica, with settling of the slurry on the distributor plate. Smaller size particles were more uniformly distributed. Heat transfer coefficients were determined in the 12'' column for paraffin/silica slurries, using seven vertical, tubular heat transfer elements. The values were in good agrement with Deckwer's correlation for the large and medium size particles, but were lower for the 0.5 to 5 mu m size range. The bubble size diameter probe was successfully calibrated using a strobe technique, and data acquisition will begin next quarter. (ERA citation 08:038584)

REPORT  NUMBER: DOE/PC/30021-T12

CONTRACT  NUMBER: AC22-80PC30021