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Middle distillates production via Fischer–Tropsch synthesis with integrated upgrading under supercritical conditions
Author(s) -
Zhang Sihe,
Xu Rui,
Durham Ed,
Roberts Christopher B.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
aiche journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.958
H-Index - 167
eISSN - 1547-5905
pISSN - 0001-1541
DOI - 10.1002/aic.14493
Subject(s) - selectivity , supercritical fluid , olefin fiber , chemistry , isomerization , distillation , catalysis , materials science , chromatography , organic chemistry
A vertically aligned fixed‐bed reactor system with a cascade of three sequential catalyst beds has been used to incorporate Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS) in the first bed, oligomerization (O) in the second bed, and hydrocracking/isomerization (HC or C) in the third bed (FTOC). Compared to gas phase FTS (GP‐FT) alone, gas phase FTS with the subsequent upgrading beds (GP‐FTOC) is demonstrated to result in a reduction in the olefin selectivity, a reduction in the C 26+ selectivity, and a marked enhancement in the production of branched paraffins and aromatics. Utilization of supercritical hexane as the reaction medium in supercritical FTS (SC‐FT) and supercritical phase FTOC (SC‐FTOC) resulted in a significant reduction in both CH 4 selectivity and CO 2 selectivity. Interestingly, significant amounts of aldehydes and cyclo‐paraffins were collected in SC‐FT and in SC‐FTOC, respectively, while not being observed in traditional gas phase operation (both GP‐FT and GP‐FTOC). © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J , 60: 2573–2583, 2014