TITLE: Attrition and carbon formation on iron catalysts.

AUTHOR: S. D. Kohler;   M. S. Harrington;   N. B. Jackson;   M. Shroff; D. S. Kalakkad.

INST.  AUTHOR: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM.

SPONSOR: Department of Energy, Washington, DC.

LANGUAGE: English

PUB.  TYPE: Technical Report

PUB.  COUNTRY: United States

SOURCE: Department of Energy [DE],  1994,  5p.

NTIS ORDER NO.: DE94017341INW

ABSTRACT:

A serious engineering problem that needs to be addressed in the scale-up of slurry-phase, Fischer-Tropsch reactors is attrition of the precipitated iron catalyst. Attrition, which can break down the catalyst into particles too small to filter, results from both mechanical and chemical forces.  This study examines the chemical causes of attrition in iron catalysts. A bench-scale, slurry-phase CSTR is used to simulate operating conditions that lead to attrition of the catalyst. The average particle size and size distribution of the catalyst samples are used to determine the effect of slurry temperature, reducing gas, gas flow rate and time upon attrition of the catalyst. Carbon deposition, a possible contributing factor to attrition, has been examined using gravimetric analysis and TEM.  Conditions affecting the rate of carbon deposition have been compared to those leading to attrition of the precipitated iron catalyst.

REPORT  NUMBER: SAND-94-1489C;   CONF-940813-14

CONTRACT  NUMBER: AC04-94AL85000