TITLE: Liquid Hydrocarbon Fuels from Syngas. Fourteenth Quarterly Progress Report, June-August 1984.

INST.  AUTHOR: Union Carbide Corp., Tarrytown, NY. Molecular Sieve Dept.

SPONSOR: Department of Energy, Washington, DC.

LANGUAGE: English

PUB.  TYPE: Technical Report

PUB.  COUNTRY: United States

SOURCE: Department of Energy [DE],  1985,  307p.

NTIS ORDER NO.: DE85017394/INW

ABSTRACT:

The objective of the contract is to develop a catalyst and operating conditions for the direct conversion of syngas to liquid hydrocarbon fuels, using microporous crystals (''Molecular Sieves'') in combination with transition metals. While none of the eight catalysts tested this quarter matched the catalyst of Run 11677-11 in stability, there was one stable and effective catalyst among them and much valuable information was gained. The effects of process changes in Run 117723-17 (Catalyst 1) are very informative. The higher pressure is not an advantage in these cobalt systems. It raises the initial activity only a little, and accelerates the deactivation rate to the degree that after a relatively short time on stream at 500 psig the syngas conversion is lower than it was at 300 psig.  The results with X sub 8 were mixed. Although chemically related to X sub 6 , in cobalt Fischer-Tropsch catalysts it acts somewhat differently. It does lower the production of methane, for which purpose the optimum concentration seems to be 2% as much X sub 8 as cobalt, but it does not lower the water gas shift activity as much as X sub 6 does. In addition, it did not perform well in combination with X sub 4 when both were at low concentrations. At higher levels, in Catalyst 7 (Run 1185-02), the combination produced an active and stable catalyst. Thorium appears to be essential in a catalyst containing the X sub 4 X sub 8 combination. It seems to enhance their useful effects, and to minimize their tendency to lower the catalyst's specific activity. The effects of potassium are also mixed. It does increase the water gas shift activity, as in iron catalysts, but it does not contribute to chain growth and seems to impair the catalyst's stability. 289 figs., 27 tabs. (ERA citation 10:046248)

REPORT  NUMBER: DOE/PC/40077-T9

CONTRACT  NUMBER: AC22-81PC40077