An active iron catalyst containing sulfur for Fischer–Tropsch synthesis

• Published in: Fuel (Guildford) Vol. 83; no. 2; pp. 205 - 212
• Main Authors: Wu, Baoshan, Bai, Liang, Xiang, Hongwei, Li, Yong-Wang, Zhang, Zhixin, Zhong, Bing
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 2004; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Energy; Exact sciences and technology; Fischer–Tropsch synthesis; Fixed bed reactor; Fuel processing. Carbochemistry and petrochemistry; Fuels; Gas processing; Iron catalyst; Iron sulfate; Slurry reactor; Slurry reactor; Iron catalyst; Iron sulfate; Fixed bed reactor; Fischer–Tropsch synthesis; Hydrogen; Catalyst selectivity; Fischer Tropsch synthesis; Iron; Fischet-Ttopsch synthesis; Precursor; Stirred tank reactor; Fischer Tropsch catalyst; Iron Sulfates; Carbon monoxide; Catalyst activity
• ISSN: 0016-2361; 1873-7153
• DOI: 10.1016/S0016-2361(03)00253-9

A precipitated iron catalyst containing sulfur for Fischer–Tropsch (F–T) synthesis was prepared by means of a novel method using a ferrous sulfate as precursor. Both fixed bed reactor (FBR) and continues stirred tank slurry reactor (STSR) were used to test long-term F–T reaction behaviors over the catalyst. A stability test (1600 h) in FBR showed that the catalyst was active even after 1500 h of time-on-stream with CO conversion of 78% and with C 5 + hydrocarbon selectivity of 72 wt% at 250 °C, 2.0 MPa, 2.0 NL/g-cat/h, and H 2/CO=2.0. The test (550 h) in STSR indicated that the catalyst exhibited relatively high activity with CO conversion of 70–76% and C 5 + selectivity of 83–86 wt% in hydrocarbon products under the conditions of 260 °C, 2.0 MPa, 2.0 NL/g-cat/h, and H 2/CO=0.67. The deactivation rate of the catalyst was low, accompanied by surprisingly low methane selectivity of 2.0–2.9 wt%. It is shown that a small amount of sulfur (existing as SO 4 2−) may promote the catalyst by increasing activity and improving the heavier hydrocarbon selectivity. It is also comparable with other typical iron catalysts for F–T synthesis.