TITLE: Synthesis of octane enhancers during slurry-phase Fischer Tropsch.  Quarterly technical progress report No. 1, September 26-December 31, 1990.

AUTHOR: G. Marcelin.

INST.  AUTHOR: Altamira Instruments, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA.

SPONSOR: Department of Energy, Washington, DC.

LANGUAGE: English

PUB.  TYPE: Technical Report

PUB.  COUNTRY: United States

SOURCE: Department of Energy [DE],  28 Feb 91,  52p.

NTIS ORDER NO.: DE91010519INW

ABSTRACT:

The objective of this project is to investigate three possible routes to the formation of ethers, in particular methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), during slurry phase Fischer-Tropsch (FT) reaction. The three routes to be investigated are: addition of isobutylene during the formation of methanol and/or higher alcohols directly from CO and H(sub 2) during slurry-phase Fischer-Tropsch; addition of isobutylene to FT liquid products including alcohols in a slurry-phase reactor containing an MTBE or other acid catalyst; and addition of methanol to slurry phase FT synthesis making iso-olefins. Work conducted during the first quarter has concentrated in the design of a laboratory-scale bubble column slurry reactor (BCSR) capable of operating at suitable temperatures and pressures for each of the three routes defined above. For design purposes the reactor has been configured as a one-inch diameter bubble column reactor for conversion of synthesis gas and operating with a wax paraffin (C(sub 30)(sup +)) liquid medium. This design has been finalized, thereby reaching milestone M1. The paper discusses the important design parameters (hydrodynamics, mass transfer, kinetics, and heat transfer) as well as the relationship of lab scale to industrial scale BCSR, parameter estimations, and the design of the bench-scale BCSR. 23 refs., 3 figs., 3 tabs.

REPORT  NUMBER: DOE/PC/90047-T1

CONTRACT  NUMBER: AC22-90PC90047