Catalytic synthesis of hydrocarbons from carbon monoxide and hydrogen on lamellar compound of graphite intercalated by ferric chloride

Abstract

From the thermal gravimetric studies of a lamellar compound of graphite (LCG) intercalated by ferric chloride, it was shown that FeCl 3 in the intercalated layers was reduced to FeCl 2 and partly to metallic Fe in flowing H 2 at 400 °C: The main constituent in the LCG treated in H 2 for 1 hr was FeCl 2, and with an increasing period of H 2 treatment some part of the FeCl 2 was further reduced to metallic Fe between the graphite layers. The catalytic activity and selectivity of the reduced LCG for hydrocarbon synthesis from CO and H 2 were investigated at 300 to 500 °C and 1 to 20 atm. The catalytic activity of the LCG increased with increasing degree of reduction of the FeCl 2, suggesting that the activity is attributed to metallic Fe. The main reaction products were C 1C 4 hydrocarbons and the formation of higher hydrocarbons or organic oxygenated compounds was negligible. The LCG catalyst gave hydrocarbons in outstandingly high selectivity (more than 90% at 400 °C) compared with an Fe catalyst merely supported on graphite which gave considerable amount of CO 2 with hydrocarbons.