Development of Precipitated Iron Fischer-Tropsch Catalysts.

Four (alumina or silica) supported catalysts with nominal compositions (on mass basis) of synthesized catalysts are: (1) 100 Fe/5 Cu/6 K/139 SiO{sub 2} (2) 100 Fe/10 Cu/6 K/134 SiO{sub 2}, (3) 100 Fe/5 Cu/ K/139 Al{sub 2}0{sub 3} and (4) 100 Fe/10 Cu/6 K/134 Al{sub 2}0{sub 3} were char BET surface area measurements. The surface areas of all four catalysts are between 94 and 136 m{sup 2}/g, whereas the surface areas of alumina and silica support are 213 and 252 m{sup 2}/g, respectively. The decrease in surface area of the supports is due to pore filling and blocking during the impregnation of supports with iron and promoters. During the current reporting period one slurry reactor test (SB-2337) was performed with an alumina supported catalyst with nominal composition 100 Fe/5 Cu/9 K/139 Al{sub 2}0{sub 3}, which was synthesized in our laboratory during the last quarter. The performance of this catalyst was inferior in comparison to our catalysts B (100 Fe/5 Cu/6 K/24 SiO{sub 2}) and C (100 Fe/3 Cu/4 K/16 SiO{sub 2}). Activity of the alumina supported catalyst was lower, and its catalyst deactivation rate was higher than that of the baseline catalysts B and C. The work on testing of alternative catalyst has been completed