Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis Intensification in Foam Structures

Abstract

This paper investigates the intensification of Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis (FTS) in open-cell foam structures. To check this point, the metallic foams with different alloy (aluminum and FeCrAl), pore density (10-40 ppi) and (20% Co–0.5% Re)/Al2O3 catalyst layer thicknesses were prepared. Catalytic results of aluminum foams show excellent thermal behavior but catalyst coatings thicker than ~70 m suffer from catalyst effectiveness loss, increasing methane selectivity and decreasing C5+ hydrocarbons selectivity. Conversely, FeCrAl foams exhibited also a similar critical maximum catalyst layer thickness, but with diffusional and thermal limitations resulting in both temperature and selectivity runaways at higher thicknesses. Finally, the observed good thermal control and the tortuosity of the narrow porous structure for aluminum foams permitted to enhance the production of C5+ hydrocarbons to 87 kgC5+/m3·h at 250 oC, 26 % higher than the productivity obtained with parallel channel aluminum monolith coated with...