TITLE: Mechanism and Kinetics of Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis over Supported Ruthenium Catalysts.

AUTHOR: C. S. Kellner.

INST.  AUTHOR: California Univ., Livermore. Lawrence Livermore Lab.

SPONSOR: Department of Energy, Washington, DC.

LANGUAGE: English

PUB.  TYPE: Technical Report

PUB.  COUNTRY: United States

SOURCE: Department of Energy [DE],  Jun 81,  193p.

ABSTRACT:

A detailed study of the kinetics of the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis of hydrocarbons, methanol, and acetaldehyde, over alumina- and silica-supported ruthenium catalysts has been carried out over a broad range of reaction conditions. Based on these results and information taken from the literature, mechanisms for the formation of normal paraffins, alpha -olefins, methanol, and acetaldehyde have been proposed. Rate data were obtained between 448 and 548K, 1 and 10 atm, and H sub 2 /CO ratios between 1 and 3, utilizing a micro flow reactor operated at very low conversions. In addition to the studies performed with H sub 2 /CO mixtures, a series of experiments were carried out utilizing D sub 2 /CO mixtures. These studies were used to help identify rate limited steps and steps that were at equilibrium. A complementary investigation, carried out by in situ infrared spectroscopy, was performed using a Fourier Transform spectrometer. The spectra obtained were used to identify the modes of CO adsorption, the CO coverage, and the relative reactivity of different forms of adsorbed CO. It was established that CO adsorbs on alumina-supported Ru in, at least, two forms: (i) Ru-CO and (ii) OC-Ru-CO.  Only the first of these forms participates in CO hydrogenation. The coverage of this species is described by a simple Langmuir isotherm. A reaction mechanism is presented for interpreting the kinetics of hydrocarbon synthesis, the olefin to paraffin ratio for each product, and the probability of chain propagation. Rate expressions based on this mechanism are reasonably consistent with the experimental data.  Acetaldehyde, obtained mainly over silica-supported Ru, appears to be formed by a mechanism related to that for hydroformulation of olefins. The effect of the dispersion of Ru/Al sub 2 O sub 3 catalysts on their specific activity and selectivity was also investigated. The specific activity for all products decreased rapidly with increasing dispersions.  (ERA citation 81:024868)

REPORT  NUMBER: LBL-12278

CONTRACT  NUMBER: W-7405-ENG-48