Stable ferrous-ferric nitrate solutions for Fischer-Tropsch catalyst preparation

• Main Authors: PANDURANG V. NIKRAD, HAROLD A. WRIGHT, DAWID J. DUVENHAGE, BELMA DEMIREL, RICHARD A. BLEY, SARA L. ROLFE, DANNY M. DUBUISSON, JESSE W. TAYLOR
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 10.12.2009
• Subjects: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOIDCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; COMPOUNDS CONTAINING METALS NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSESC01D OR C01F; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; INORGANIC CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY; NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS; TRANSPORTING

A method of producing stable ferrous nitrate solution by dissolving iron in nitric acid to form a ferrous nitrate solution and maintaining the solution at a first temperature for a first time period, whereby the Fe(II) content of the ferrous nitrate solution changes by less than about 2% over a second time period. A method of producing stable Fe(II)/Fe(III) nitrate solution comprising ferrous nitrate and ferric nitrate and having a desired ratio of ferrous iron to ferric iron, including obtaining a stable ferrous nitrate solution; dissolving iron in nitric acid to form a ferric nitrate solution; maintaining the ferric nitrate solution at a second temperature for a third time period; and combining amounts of stable ferrous nitrate solution and ferric nitrate solution to produce the stable Fe(II)/Fe(III) nitrate solution. A method of preparing an iron catalyst is also described.